Brian thought it would be a great idea to start this Name That Tune Challenge. I did too. So, here's how it works. I post a short link to a mystery tune. That's all at first. If after a day or two, no one guesses it, then I'll start posting clues. To avoid confusion, I'll only post one tune at a time. And don't look for the title in my link. I'll name the links "Mystery Tune #1" and so forth.
First Mystery tune. When I was in high school, our music teacher held a "name that tune" once a week. The winner would receive an "A" for the day. I was the only one that new this title. And I got an "A" - ha, ha.
Well I guess that leaves out “I Started a Joke” by The Bee Gees. Do you have another hint? Such as, is this an adaptation from a classical score? From the Romance Era? This sounds vaguely familiar.
BINGO! Congratulations Nigel! Doris Day made Secret Love famous. It's from her movie "Calamity Jane." Here's Doris singing Secret Love: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=doris+day+secret+love&view=detail&mid=BD2A590CBEBD7F6B4C30BD2A590CBEBD7F6B4C30&FORM=VIRE0&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3ddoris%2bday%2bsecret%2blove%26form%3dANNTH1%26refig%3dde7e17c743ca4ef0bbeb505a58518c86
BINGO! Congratulations Nigel! Doris Day made Secret Love famous. It's from her movie "Calamity Jane." Here's Doris singing Secret Love: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=doris+day+secret+love&view=detail&mid=BD2A590CBEBD7F6B4C30BD2A590CBEBD7F6B4C30&FORM=VIRE0&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3ddoris%2bday%2bsecret%2blove%26form%3dANNTH1%26refig%3dde7e17c743ca4ef0bbeb505a58518c86
John
Dang it! I missed this post but I knew it instantly with just the music. At first Doris Day popped into my head then I sang it until the chorus! This is GREAT John! Thanks so much!
First, click "Use Full Editor" then use the Insert Link button. You will paste in the link, then they will ask you to name the link. You can either paste it in again, or give it a name line "Name That Tune #002"
John and Brian, I think that song is; "My one and only Love" my Dad`s house was always full of this style of music. if I have that right I`m going to stay out of this I might have an unfair advantage. this is a great challenge to get into nothing here but info. you have a great day..Lane
I had to hum it beyond what you played to figure it out...then the Title came to me ...my mom was in a big band back in the 40's in Canada so I sort of grew up on that music
Congrats Craig! That was fast. I think I'll start posting just the first phrase of the melody without the chords. It will make it a bit more difficult.
Hi John, said I`d stay out of this , first I thought it was "Why Me by Chris C but that lead in is so distinct to me. SO I going with "One day at a time Christy Lane
Hi John, said I`d stay out of this , first I thought it was "Why Me by Chris C but that lead in is so distinct to me. SO I going with "One day at a time Christy Lane
Nope--hint: One of the first songs I learned on guitar circa--1966, a bit of humor. I haven't heard the song in years, just checked it out on YT--my tempo is quite slower, so speed it up.
Fed's post was a "commercial"--it was funny however, but made me laugh......I remember J Gleason as a kid. I always thought Archie Bunker "drew" from that character a bit.
Yes Mystery song #8 is on the thread. (I don't have a clue).
I felt in 64 rock took a big deep breath and said Here We go!! Tried to make this easy just to try this style of Name that tune. Posted a song with just the hints, get the song? Ill play the clip.
1964 song; If not US it was "THEM" three chords E A D The guy spells out his girlfriend`s name [also the name of the song] "She comes around here just about midnight."
I`ll post one more to give John a little more of a break Song # 11 name the song I`ll post it. Classic song from 1969 written by Canadian Ian Tyson (Ian & Sylvia) and performed by Judy Collins. This girl was sister to a person I knew In Denver, got to hang with Her once. "and I would never "Leave Her crying"
Every morning in Boulder Me and friends would meet at Magnolia Thunderpussy`s for coffee, and a good look around.
Really stumped at first. Was going to do a lifeline to granddaughter’s piano teacher because this must get played at local recitals a lot. Great clues again, John!
Really stumped at first. Was going to do a lifeline to granddaughter’s piano teacher because this must get played at local recitals a lot. Great clues again, John!
Robert Redford plays an aging horse trainer and rancher, A woman seeks his help along with her young daughter having trouble too. The woman has a crap marrage. Long story short, He heals the horse, mends the daughter, and allows the woman to make a choice. Gives them all back their life, I include the Father/ husband too.
This is a song from that movie "HORSE WHISPER" Singer-songwriter Allison Moorer was 14 years old when her father shot and killed her mother — and then himself. Moorer and her older sister, singer Shelby Lynne, were left to live with their aunt and uncle. Read it here. https://www.npr.org/2019/11/04/775990825
clues "daylight has found me here again" "looking for a soft place, nothing more than a small space."
name the song i`ll put it on. "Next one I do gets a little tougher...lol
John won this challenge #16 SOFT PLACE TO FALL"
good music thanks John
Artist: Allison Moorer Album: The Horse Whisperer Released: 1998 Nominations: Academy Award for Best Music (Original Song)
You got it! Figured that hint would expedite the answer.
I was fortunate enough to see Linda Ronstadt in concert sing that song near concert's end in 1976 at Pine Knob just north of Detroit. I started out with lawn seats but noticed some empty seats about 50' from center stage that were remaining vacant--took my date and and moved into those seats and watched most of the concert from up close. Andrew Gold opened the show and also played piano with Linda's main act. She was so good........and so........cute!
Craig--good work in getting full song name. At first I played the opening notes, but realized that was too easy, so opted for later. I think every kid learning guitar in the late mid late 60's played that song as fairly easy and cool!
Clue: this song was sung in a 1960s Disney movie by a comedian, actor, singer, and dancer who also had a comedy TV show during the same era. Hope this helps!
That clue narrowed things down to the one guy who was both a comedian and singer, at least from the early 60s, and that was Dick Van Dyke. The song is "Chim Chim Cher-ee"
If that's the correct answer, I've got a stumper and could go next if nobody else wants to..
This is a two parter. Two songs. Two bars each. Different timbres delineate each song. Each song was a "one hit wonder" --both recording acts only went Top Ten once in Billboard's Hot 100. The synth plays the first several notes of vocal melody that happens in each USA top ten hit. Each song is in its original key and octave. The songs were released between 4 and 5 years apart.
BIG CLUE: The last word of the first song's title is the first word of the second song's title.
Those last two clues are why this is a two-parter: get one song correct and the other song should be easy.
More clues to come in two days if no one cracks it.
Have fun.
Just for clarity: at the start, those are 4 repeated e4 notes played with legato. The second song's tempo is 20-30 bpm slower in my "take" than in the hit recording.
Remember, there's two songs in there, two bars each, different timbres delineating them.
Remember, both are "one hit wonders"
The two songs were hits between 4-5 years apart.
Remember the big clue that the last word of the first song is the first word of the second song.
NEW CLUE: Both song titles are things girls said to their guys.
In song one, it's a question the wife asks her husband, and those seven notes COMPRISE THE FIVE WORD TITLE, because the title words are the first words sung. The lyric POV is first person, the song is sung by a woman.
Song two's FIVE WORD song title occurs well into the song (in the chorus) and is an admonishment, a warning from the girl to her guy. The lyric POV is third person, the song is sung by a man. The actual (eleven note) opening verse line (which is the clue given here) descibes a festive event.
Remember, there's two songs in there, two bars each, different timbres delineating them.
Remember, both are "one hit wonders"
The two songs were hits between 4-5 years apart.
Remember the big clue that the last word of the first song is the first word of the second song.
NEW CLUE: Both song titles are things girls said to their guys.
In song one, it's a question the wife asks her husband, and those seven notes COMPRISE THE FIVE WORD TITLE, because the title words are the first words sung. The lyric POV is first person, the song is sung by a woman.
Song two's FIVE WORD song title occurs well into the song (in the chorus) and is an admonishment, a warning from the girl to her guy. The lyric POV is third person, the song is sung by a man. The actual (eleven note) opening verse line (which is the clue given here) descibes a festive event.
Refer to the above "quote" for all the prior clues...
Two songs, 2 bars each...
New clues:
The first song (which, again, is sung by a woman) was a one hit wonder for this particular BAND that had a member in it that would 4-5 years later go solo and become a (USA Billboard Hot 100) "one hit wonder" themselves, under his/her own name, with a song originally written by Jacques Brel.
The second song was a top ten hit in the UK, too, but by a different band! A band that was a "two hit wonder" in the UK, and a "one hit wonder" themselves, in the USA. Their one USA hit mentions ''Al Capone'' by name. Figure out who THAT band is, and then you'll know the TITLE of their OTHER UK hit, which is the SAME SONG as the second song here, which was the ONLY hit by the band that made it a hit in the USA, who simply beat the UK band to the punch, in terms of the USA release.
LAST CLUE: The last word of the first song title is the SAME WORD as the first word of the second song title. THAT WORD that both songs share in common IS MORE THAN 4 LETTERS.
The BEST answer is to name both songs and both Billboard Hot 100 "one-hit wonder" recording artists.
The Poppy Family was one of few pop bands whose "drummer" played tablas mostly, and upon hearing them for the first time, you might think this was The Carpenters in the late Sixties, trying to be psychedelic. No tablas on their hit though.
Susan Jacks, the lead singer, died last year at 73, awaiting a kidney transplant.
Her ex-husband Terry Jacks was in The Poppy Family as well, and he is the "clue artist" in question who made a hit with Jacques Brel material "Le Moribund" which became "Seasons In the Sun" which was a Rod McKuen translation. One of the most hated Number One Hits of all time.
Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods was the correct answer for the band that beat UK band Paper Lace to the punch in the USA (Paper Lace's version peaked at #97 in the USA), and scored their only top ten hit with the song. Another one of the most hated number one hits of all time. The Paper Lace song that mentions "Al Capone" was "The Night Chicago Died" and was Paper Lace's only USA hit.
I imagine there may be more than one song that holds the melodic (solfeggio) note "do" played on the first beat and over a major one chord, then melodically goes to "ti" on the 4th beat of the same bar...it seems generic enough that there might be several songs...only problem for me is...if that's true...then why can I think of only one?
I won't wait, Eddie, cuz I think John is playing a different song that happens to start exactly the same as the one I am thinking of, or that you are thinking of, as well.
The only one that comes to mind for me is "Tutti Frutti."
Just kidding..."I'll Be Home For Christmas" is my actual "guess" and it certainly qualifies in terms of notes over chords--it starts out exactly like what you played--and there are literally hundreds of cover versions and I'm sure some are even in the key of Eb, like yours.
So John, even if you are playing a different song, I'd like you to consider giving me partial credit!
That was certainly an ear worm. So many songs are ALMOST what you played. "Smile" for one. "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing" etc...
Hmm........Michael, you may be right, that works and is a different song than I was thinking. My song was a hit in 1956 and a movie soundtrack..........I'll wait a bit before showing my cards, however you may have it! (I wonder if John knows.......he could have just been doodling on the piano).......?
I imagine there may be more than one song that holds the melodic (solfeggio) note "do" played on the first beat and over a major one chord, then melodically goes to "ti" on the 4th beat of the same bar...it seems generic enough that there might be several songs...only problem for me is...if that's true...then why can I think of only one?
I won't wait, Eddie, cuz I think John is playing a different song that happens to start exactly the same as the one I am thinking of, or that you are thinking of, as well.
The only one that comes to mind for me is "Tutti Frutti."
Just kidding..."I'll Be Home For Christmas" is my actual "guess" and it certainly qualifies in terms of notes over chords--it starts out exactly like what you played--and there are literally hundreds of cover versions and I'm sure some are even in the key of Eb, like yours.
So John, even if you are playing a different song, I'd like you to consider giving me partial credit!
That was certainly an ear worm. So many songs are ALMOST what you played. "Smile" for one. "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing" etc...
I'll give you 100% of the credit Michael. I'll Be Home for Christmas" was correect. Yes, when only using a couple notes, it can often reflect other tunes. Here's the full track I recorded earlier today: I'll Be Home for Christmas
The popular versions of "I'll Be Home For Christmas" are Bb and G, so I figured if I WAS right, you had to be playing it from memory, NOT sheet music. I figured I'd throw it out there just in case, and what-do-ya-know...
I'd like to "host a round" more like classic "Name That Tune" where I give a written clue, and then folks can "bid" on how few notes they need to "name that tune." The bidding could last a specified period of time, like 2, 3 or 4 days...The "lowest" bid would be the number of (melodic) notes given, in the musical clue that would follow. Of course, if anyone says "I can name that tune in zero notes" they should also IMMEDIATELY give an answer, a song title, and in the case two get the correct answer, the earliest post wins.
This time I won't take liberties with moving forward on this, though, as I recently "hosted" and someone else might have a song they want to play with.
Like w/classic "Name That Tune" you will get a clue. If you think you've got the answer, you can bypass the bidding process and say some version of "I can name that tune in zero notes" and then you simply give one song title as your answer. If you are correct, YOU WIN! If you are incorrect, you cannot try again 'til a next round, which may or may not happen.
Otherwise, name a number of notes you believe you need to help you name that tune, and I will upload a solo, melodic piano of the songs melody the following afternoon (3 PM Pacific Time), based on the LOWEST BID (2 being lower than 3, 3 being lower than 4, etc.) The LOWEST BIDDER is then given 'til 2:59 PM Pacific Time, the next day, to respond. If he/she doesn't respond, at 3 PM Pacific Time I will prompt the NEXT LOWEST bidder to give an answer, adding the corresponding number of notes to the musical clue.
The bidding can start with as many as 9 notes and as few as zero notes, zero notes getting to make an immediate guess. Realize certain strategies might be bad, such as saying you can name the tune in one note, since the next player, in a given day, can "name that tune in zero notes" and simply "name the tune" at that point, beating you to the punch. After the first bid, a different person can make a bid with any smaller number, any fewer number of notes they think they need to get the answer correct.
Responding w/answer, bidding, etc. will proceed 'til Monday afternoon, specifically 3PM Pacific Time, at which point I post a musical clue, and that lowest bidder who gets to answer should be aware that they have 'til Tuesday 2:59 PM Pacific Time to respond with their answer, before the next lowest bidder will then have a chance to hear the melodic clue (with extra notes) and try to solve the puzzle .
I'll be flexible if folks think I am not allowing for enough time, or if there's a shortage of responses, I might post at the end of a day that I'm adding a day on, to allow for more interest in this round of play. IF 2 PEOPLE PLAY, game is ON!
Remember, responses/answers/bids in by 2:59 Pacific Time, Musical cues/clues will be posted at 3 PM Pacific.
Feel free to clarify the rules if I have been vague about anything.
For me, this is an exercise in "can a game be successfully played in a chatroom that was made to be played with the immediate feedback of people-together-in-a-room?" By the end of this round-of-play, I will have my answer.
THE CLUE: This Grammy winning song got its title from a best selling, non-fiction book (of the same title) the recording artist had read. The song, in fact won MORE THAN ONE Grammy!
See above post for rules. Bid notes (9 or less) or attempt to solve puzzle. A "wrong guess" will eliminate the guesser until a possible 'next round' which would start at 3 PM Pacific Time the next day (in most cases).
2:59 PM PST Monday is the last chance to Bid or solve. At 3 PM PST Monday I will post a musical cue/clue based on the lowest bidder's number of notes. Two players/bidders = GAME ON. NO LIMIT to number of players. Game days roll over to 3 PM PST next day 'til we have two players/bidders.
If a second player makes a lower bid, you can feel free to undercut that bid by bidding even fewer notes than him.
If no second player bids or guesses by tomorrow at 3PM PST, I'll just go ahead and upload the musical cue/clue (with 9 notes), and YOU get to be the first guesser. If you end up the only bidder, that would be the fairest way to proceed, I think.
Also note: I modified the clue to be more specific about its Grammy winning. The song won more than one Grammy.
UPDATE: Craig has opened the bidding w/9 notes. **********************************************************************************
THE CLUE: This Grammy winning song got its title from a best selling, non-fiction book (of the same title) the recording artist had read. The song, in fact won MORE THAN ONE Grammy!
Like w/classic "Name That Tune" you will get a clue (see directly above). If you think you've got the answer, you can bypass the bidding process and say some version of "I can name that tune in zero notes" and then you can immediately give one song title as your answer. If you are correct, YOU WIN! If you are incorrect, you are DISQUALIFIED from further play!!!
Otherwise, name a number of notes you believe you need to help you name that tune (Craig has opened the bidding w/9 notes), and I will upload a solo, melodic piano of the songs melody the following afternoon (3 PM Pacific Time), based on the LOWEST BID (2 being lower than 3, 3 being lower than 4, etc.) The LOWEST BIDDER is then given 'til Tuesday 3 PM PST to respond. If he/she doesn't respond, a little after 3 PM PST I will prompt the NEXT HIGHER bidder to give an answer, adding the corresponding number of notes to the musical cue/clue.
The bidding can start with as many as 9 notes and as few as zero notes, zero notes getting to make an immediate guess, albeit w/consequence of being eliminated from play, if wrong. Realize certain strategies might be bad, such as saying you can name the tune in one note, since the next player can "name that tune in zero notes" and simply blurt out an answer with no need to wait for the musical cue/clue, beating you to the punch. After the first bid, a different person can make a bid with any smaller number, any fewer number of notes they think they need to get the answer correct.
Responding w/answer, bidding, etc. will proceed 'til Monday afternoon, specifically 3 PM PST, at which point I will post a musical clue, and that lowest bidder who gets to answer should be aware that they have 'til Tuesday 3 PM PST to respond with their answer, before the next lowest bidder will then have a chance to hear the melodic clue (with extra notes) and try to solve the puzzle .
Game is ON as we have two players: Craig opened the bidding with 9 notes, John Schick thinks he can name that tune in 7.
The bidder with the LOWEST number of notes bid will have FIRST CHANCE to solve the musical cue/clue. Everyone else should PM their answers in the case that the winning bidder answers incorrectly or is stymied. The winning bidder has until 3PM PST Tuesday to answer. At that time, I will look to see if the NEXT HIGHEST bidder had the correct answer, and if not, the bidder with the next highest bid, etc...
If, at that point STILL nobody has gotten it, I will add a written clue every two hours, until someone names the tune.
Remember, responses/answers/bids in by Monday @ 3 PM PST, A musical cue/clue will be posted minutes later.
Feel free to have me clarify anything you are not understanding.
For me, this is an exercise in "can a game be successfully played in a chatroom that was made to be played with the immediate feedback of people-together-in-a-room?" I am finding I'm having to modify the classic "Name That Tune" rules as I go to make it work.
Like in the TV show, if you think you could "name that tune" with less notes than the first bid (Craig bid nine notes), you could bid 8, IOW "I can name that tune in 8 notes"
As it stands, Craig is the only bidder and will have exclusive rights to "name that tune" ahead of everyone else, if no one else either makes a guess as to the song title (but risks being eliminated if wrong) or bids today by 3PM PST.
Game is ON as we have two players: Craig opened the bidding with 9 notes, John Schick thinks he can name that tune in 7.
Anyone can STILL feel free to bid 6 or less notes, including Craig, and anyone can still flat-out take a guess, but if wrong is eliminated.
The bidder with the LOWEST number of notes bid will have FIRST CHANCE to solve the musical cue/clue. Everyone else should PM their answers in the case that the winning bidder answers incorrectly or is stymied. The winning bidder has until 3PM PST Tuesday to respond to the musical cue/clue. At that time, if the winning bidder has an incorrect response or no response, I will look to see if the NEXT HIGHEST bidder had the correct (PM'd) answer, and if not, the bidder with the next highest bid, etc...
Bidding/guessing ends @ 3PM PST today, Monday...
Musical cue/clue will be posted shortly thereafter...
The CLUE, again is:
This Grammy winning song got its title from a best selling, non-fiction book (of the same title) the recording artist had read. The song, in fact won MORE THAN ONE Grammy!
VERY IMPORTANT: ONLY JOHN SCHICK CAN POST HIS ANSWER HERE. EVERYONE ELSE must PM ME if you think you know the answer and there is a small road to winning for you! ********************************************************************* Game is on...John plays first...he gets to be first to respond to the musical cue/clue.
John, again, you and only you get to make a PUBLIC guess and you have until 3PM PST tomorrow, Tuesday.
The melody you hear are the first seven notes the recording artist sings.
Craig, after hearing the 7 notes, you can get full credit if John does not know and you PM me the correct answer before Tuesday at 3 PM PST, but would be eliminated if that answer was wrong. You also have the option to wait until Tuesday at 3 PM PST to get the additional 2 notes.
For everyone else, the only road to win is PM-ing me the correct title and having both John and Craig come up empty. For everyone else, if there's more than one correct, the FIRST ONE PM'd wins. DO NOT WAIT TO PM me if you think you have the correct answer! First correct response from the "peanut gallery" wins if neither John nor Craig can come up with the correct answer.
Incorrect answers result in immediate elimination from further play.
Again, EVERYONE ELSE who thinks they know, YOU MUST PM me your answer, PLEASE DON'T POST IT HERE! *********************************************************************
Best of luck to everyone, and special thanks to John and Craig for playing!
This Grammy winning song got its title from a best selling, non-fiction book (of the same title) the recording artist had read. The song, in fact won MORE THAN ONE Grammy!
Good guess, except "Sweet Pea" starts on John's second note.
I'm gonna guess "Heigh Ho" --though I'm hoping John's working from memory, cuz although the first, third and forth notes are totally "Heigh Ho" John's third note is not a passing tone between notes two and four, as it is in "Heigh Ho."
"Sweet Pea" is correct. The first note could have been scratched. 2nd, 3rd, and 4th note = Oh, Sweet Pea". I was thinking "Oh, oh Sweet Pea". Congrats to Craig on this Bubblegum hit!
"Sweet Pea" never even occured to me, so you deserve major props, sir.
And I am familiar with the song, and most of Roe's stuff. I think "Dizzy" is remarkable in how Roe gives the listener a dizzying sensation through all his modulations. Pretty sophisticated for bubblegum.
Correct John! From wiki, about this Tommy Roe song:
Quote
The ABC recording of the song is done in the style of the Lubbock sound, made popular by Buddy Holly and the Crickets in the late 1950s; the strumming pattern, tempo, and chords (both songs are in the key of A) bear particularly strong resemblance to the Crickets' “Peggy Sue"; Roe's vocals are similar to Holly's. The song became the title track of Tommy Roe's debut studio album, Sheila in 1962.
Congrats, John. Now I know the secret of some of your darker more brooding compositions: you have Tommy Roe front and center in your playlist.
I listened to the clue last night and thought "this sounds like a cousin of 'Who Put the Bomp' " so I was sure this was gonna be doo-wop, so was looking at lists of doo-wop songs. But had my memory not erased "Sheila" from its banks, none of the above would have happened, for sure. Nice one, Craig. Threw Tommy Roe right at me and I took a strike.
“Sheila” played on the radio a couple of days ago and I hadn’t heard it in a while either. Got it ready and John posted “Sweet Pea.” Two good songs by Tommy Roe!
A little different clue this time. This is the instrumental ending to the song. Very familiar though. Mystery Tune #30: Mystery bTune #30
John
Answer posted and erased to give others a chance, sent John a PM with my answer as I am 99% positive it is correct, and feeling shamefully cocky enough to not listen to the hit recording on youtube to verify my "guess."
If my answer was correct, a great clue would be "this song probably holds the record for most consecutive semitones in the main melody of a hit song."
Of course, if I'm wrong I could be completely throwing you off course, haha...
Well Eddie's taken a guess and Craig is stumped and I'm not sure if anyone else is playing, so I'll go ahead and solve it!
"Town Without Pity" by Gene Pitney
Mr. T would "pity the fool" who didn't have "Town Without Pity" on their playlist. Music by film composer Dmitri Tiomkin. I bet he had to fight to keep all those half steps in the main vocal melody--it's just not something you hear every day but is part of what makes "Town Without Pity" such a classic.
Congrats Michael! “Town Without Pity” is correct”! Not only one of my favorite songs, but also one of my favorite singers. Gene Pitney has one of those signature voices. It’s part of what makes the song. In fact, I don’t remember any other artist ever doing a cover of it.
Congrats Michael! “Town Without Pity” is correct”! Not only one of my favorite songs, but also one of my favorite singers. Gene Pitney has one of those signature voices. It’s part of what makes the song. In fact, I don’t remember any other artist ever doing a cover of it.
In the days of folk rock, protest songs, the British invasion etc, Pitney cut through it all with great songs and a superb distinctive voice....big fan of his back then
I'm not familiar with Pitney beyond "Town Without Pity" but will find a collection of his stuff and check it out.
I just have always loved this particular song. Both the composition and the arrangement/production are kind of unique. There's a kind of noirish, sleazy elegance at work, for me, the "sleaze" and "elegance" having struck a perfect balance. "Gritty elegance" may be more what I mean, there...
Craig, if you know the answer but want to give others time to play, PM your answer to me, and I'll make sure you get credit for being first. I have a feeling everyone that listens will get it. Hard to gauge what's too easy and what's too hard, sometimes...
We have a couple winners............................
"God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys
Eddie is the first place winner, having guessed it first. Craig is the second place winner having guessed it second.
Congrats, guys!
Technically speaking. this is a song that BARELY made a dent in the USA top 40, peaking at number 39. But it's gained a legacy over the years and is on most "best of all time" lists.
Musically rather unique. Ambiguous tonal center. It's the concurrence of the tonic chord finally hitting on "knows" that makes the music so satisfying. The one song that Brian Wilson wrote that made McCartney and Bacharach and Webb jealous. The song still makes me listen; still hear more in it every time. Still gives goose bumps. **************************************************************************************************** Here's a FANTASTIC article about the song:
The Case for “God Only Knows” as the Best Pop Song Ever Written Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Hear me out.
Every list that has ever existed as the “100 Greatest Pop or Rock this-or-that” of all time runs on the fuel of subjectivity and personal opinion. I get that. Rolling Stone released a list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2011 and there are a dozen other similar lists out there, and by their very nature, they are subjective. If there were accurate quantitative means by which to rank music, the lists would all be identical.
However — all these lists get the top song wrong. Subjective or not.
The Rolling Stone list has God Only Knows at #25, behind such pablum as “Hound Dog” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” It’s number 21 here, a list that seems almost like a spoof, (“When Doves Cry”? Really?) and 20 here. You get the point. Most greatest-of lists log the song in somewhere in the top 30.
I disagree. “God Only Knows” is a perfect song. It is rich in creative virtuosity, lyrical achievement, and its ground-breaking arrangement. It works on broad-brush levels and at a macro level for the nuance enthusiast. I will lay out my arguments herein.
To begin with, we look at the key signature. The song is in the key of “E.” However, it almost never resolves to the root tonic, except for at the conclusion of the titular line at the end of the first and second chorus. Why is that a big deal?
It is a big deal because it immediately informs the listener that the melodic roadmap will be a very untraveled path — one of creative experimentation and mastery and not just your everyday 12-bar blues construction. “Hound Dog” by contrast, starts on the tonic and spends most of its time there. Yawn.
The entire verse’s chord structure is a virtual middle-finger to the expectation of cadence, tonality, and inversions. Inverted chords with the 5th in the base abound, the tension between what is being played and the actual key signature remains unrequited, yet there is a destination if the listener will wait.
It is at the close of the chorus that we finally end up with an E major, and the listener can breathe before the next twist arrives.
That twist comes in the form of the bass line into the second verse. When Carl Wilson sings “God only knows what I’d be without you” the chord changes are A — E/G# — F#m7 — E. Resolution.
At this point, the piano and bass need to climb back up to A, and Brian makes an interesting musical choice here — a G-natural in the bass rather than a G#.
The entire verse’s chord structure is a virtual middle-finger to the expectation of cadence, tonality, and inversions.
This stands out as a vivid musical choice. It’s simple yet bold — any other composer would have climbed up through G# because that’s the default, the easy choice. But Wilson drops it to a natural to set up for the D/A to start verse two.
D/A is already outside the key signature, so in effect, you have a modulation contained neatly within that single G-natural. Brilliant.
Lyrically, and melodically, the song is haunting. The lead vocal, sung by Brian’s younger brother Carl, follows the melody deftly along an atypical tonal scale, which presents as both impossible yet straightforward to sing. As the chords shift from an E/B to a C-diminished and Carl sings “You never need to doubt it…” the melody is at once vocally gymnastic yet simple, a feat that could only be achieved by his gentle approach and tenor range.
The story of full-surrender love is chock full of cliffhangers, to-wit:
“I may not always love you,” the first line of the song, seems simple enough until you realize the writer has set up an impossible-to-knock-down set of pins in the following line, “ But long as there are stars above you.”
Ah yes — I’ll only love you as long as there are stars, so, forever.
Verse two takes it to another level still:
“If you should ever leave me Though life would still go on, believe me The world could show nothing to me So what good would livin’ do me”
Yes — life would go on, but what would be the point?
Finally, the orchestration. The album “Pet Sounds,” from which this song came, was quite literally Brian Wilson’s answer to Rubber Soul. The Beatles’ album which had been released in 1965 contained a multitude of cutting-edge arrangements, vocal harmonies (“Drive My Car”) and instrumentation (sitar on “Norwegian Wood” to name a few).
As a result, Wilson wanted to take it up a notch. The result was “Pet Sounds,” and the tour-de-force of that album was “God Only Knows.” Instrumentally, Wilson crafted a blend of standard rhythm section instruments along with harpsichord, sleigh bells, strings, french horn, orange-juice cups, taped strings on a thumb-tacked piano, all of which provided the substrate to Wilson’s vocal line.
The instrumentation feels far away. Sparse in many places but building to a vocally-layered, all-in round as the song fades out. The thin and echoey passages punctuate the desperation of the lyrics. There is nothing in-your-face about the music bed, it just is — and is remarkable.
The icing on the musical cake are the various licks and riffs that cause the listener to perk up and say, “Damn — that was sweet” and are too numerous to mention. Noteworthy, however, are Hal Blaine’s snare triplets every other measure on the fade out, and Bill Green and Jim Horn’s heavily reverbed flute lines in the third verse.
Think those are just filler? Hell no. Those licks are the sweetener that adds to the cocktail to cause it to rise to a level of perfection.
The instrumentation was Brian at his zenith, extracting from each musician the timbre and phrasing for every note, a 22-year-old mad-scientist maestro taking the notes from his head to 2-inch tape.
There is a master’s thesis worth of commentary to support my contention but alas, not enough room or time to lay them all out. I’ve not even talked about the orchestral B-section, the temporary time spent in the four-chord key coming out of it, the masterful return to the key signature after that, and so much more.
Thanks Mike! Tony Asher co-wrote “God Only Knows” and a few others on the 1966 album Pet Sounds. Asher said later, “I wasn't surprised [Brian Wilson didn’t ask him to write with him anymore ] Remember, Pet Sounds was considered a flop. Even before the songs were recorded, I knew that the rest of the band felt that Brian's decision to write with me was a bad decision." It was the opening theme to “Big Love” TV series is where I’ve heard it the most.
Oh yeah, stumped by my own method of using intros/ endings. And I know this one well. Darn, darn, DARN! Okay, I'm over it...
John
But that gnawing sensation of "I KNOW THIS SONG, I KNOW it--why can't I think of it?!?" is the best. When it happens to me, It's like I can feel my brain trying to create new neural pathways, lol.
Originally Posted by Craig Allen
Thanks Mike! Tony Asher co-wrote “God Only Knows” and a few others on the 1966 album Pet Sounds. Asher said later, “I wasn't surprised [Brian Wilson didn’t ask him to write with him anymore ] Remember, Pet Sounds was considered a flop. Even before the songs were recorded, I knew that the rest of the band felt that Brian's decision to write with me was a bad decision." It was the opening theme to “Big Love” TV series is where I’ve heard it the most.
Good stuff! Forgot about Asher's involvement. Never seen "Big Love." I imagine the song was the best part of the show, haha...
As much as I love Brian Wilson's version of "God Only Knows" in which I also feel musically is a masterpiece and a top five pop melody of all time IMO, I also really like Neil Diamond's "cover" which is a slower tempo version. I attempted to cover this version a couple year's back. Though this version doesn't have quite the "sophistication" with diverse arrangement, I love how the orchestra has such a powerful supporting bed for one of pop's greatest vocalists Neil Diamond. As Mike was alluding to earlier in a much deeper music understanding that I have, I think it was Colin Ward, (not sure) that said this song could be considered having "two keys,?.......... as it's not exactly a standard key change.
Neil Diamond usually did right by his covers. Never "faithful" but kind of "Diamond-ized" versions with great string arrangements.
His version of Roger Miller's "Husbands and Wives" was my mom's favorite song, and as her caregiver in her later years, I played it for her every day up 'til her death at the age of 95.
Most modern day listeners of this mystery tune might do an 'aural double take' and wonder, when hearing its introduction, "is that 'Orinoco Flow' by Enya?" --especially if ones memory of both songs is a little vague.
I would play... but, I don't want to startle any of you "old fogies" with my guitar
I beg your pardon? I think I speak for everyone here in taking offense at "old fogey" --at worst, we are "young fogeys" --but I like to think of myself, personally, as an "old whippersnapper" thankyouverymuch.
But seriously, I imagine many of these "mystery songs" might be a little before your time? But I would love for you to prove me wrong. Take a listen and guess at Craig's Mystery Tune #32
And I personally think it would be a wonderful "change-of-pace" and hellafun to have you "host-a-round", giving a guitar/melody clue.
Eddie got it! “Can’t Get Used To Losing you” written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman. They also wrote “This Magic Moment,” A Teenager in Love,” “Save the Last Dance for Me,” “Suspicion,” “Viva Las Vegas,” and several others. Congrats!
Eddie got it! “Can’t Get Used To Losing you” written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman. They also wrote “This Magic Moment,” A Teenager in Love,” “Save the Last Dance for Me,” “Suspicion,” “Viva Las Vegas,” and several others. Congrats!
Craig, what about me? I guessed it four hours ago, remember I PM'd you?
I think Andy Williams got his start with his brothers as a "barber shop quartet in the 50's. I remember seeing the Osmonds introduced on his show early-mid-60's. Give us a stage tune John!
I think Andy Williams got his start with his brothers as a "barber shop quartet in the 50's. I remember seeing the Osmonds introduced on his show early-mid-60's. Give us a stage tune John!
I remember "Dancing Bear" (on the Andy Williams Show) and him wanting cookies...not relevant, haha, but good blackmail material, if you play your cards right, lol.
Most wonderful time of the year, Oh holy night, Little drummer boy... Haven't heard these since I was a kid, Christmas shopping with my Mom at Montgomery Ward
#33 Mystery Tune: No notes just yet… This tune is an early 1940’s jazz classic. First appeared in a Paramount movie early 1940’s. William Holden was in it.
#33 Mystery Tune: No notes just yet… This tune is an early 1940’s jazz classic. First appeared in a Paramount movie early 1940’s. William Holden was in it.
John
A "non-musical" clue first? I can name that tune in zero notes...PM'd you...
I know I'm gambling, but that can be fun!
Right or wrong "guess", I'll keep quiet; folks should have fun with this one. The version I know was sung by Cynthia Geary who played Shelly Marie Tambo in "Northern Exposure" --she sang the song through the entire episode.
This song was originally (first) sung (performed on stage) by the guy that wrote (mostly) the music for this and several other musicals.
A man who starred in other later musicals co-written by this (original singer) guy had the biggest hit version of this song, not the original (first) singer, who again, was in early productions of this musical. But this man who starred in other later musicals not only had the biggest hit version of the song in question, but had a MUCH BIGGER HIT about a decade later, also written by the same songwriting team, and several years after that would finally star in a "revival" of the musical that produced the song-in-question.
BIG CLUE: There's a tie in to William Holden, as well! Holden appeared in a movie that this songwriting team would (help) adapt (write the songs) for the musical stage decades later!
BIG CLUE: David Bowie was influenced by this songwriter's vocals.
If you can figure out the songwriter/vocalist you can probably figure out the song!
If no one has a guess, I'll post a three note clue tomorrow, and add more notes later, if needed.
Craig was first to get it; VNorth2 followed in close pursuit. Congrats, guys.
"What Kind of Fool Am I?" A hit for Sammy Davis Jr. in 1961 from a Newley/Bricusse musical "Stop the World I Want To Get Off."
Ten years later Davis Jr. would score again from the same team with "Candy Man" from their "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and then Sammy would finally star in "Stop the World..." when it had a Broadway revival in '78.
Was gonna post a Newley version from the late Eighties, but that vibrato had gotten to be a little much. Sammy seems to own every song he touches, except for maybe "Mr. Bojangles" --that's at least a two-way toss up with The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
I'll do a new tune in a little bit... you'll see why I did WKOFAI for my answer
Steve
Haha, sounds like a future "hidden clue" that your future song will have a long title. As long as it's not "I'm a Cranky Old Yank in a Clanky Old Tank on the Streets of Yokohama with My Honolulu Mama Doin' Those Beat-o, Beat-o Flat-On-My-Seat-o, Hirohito Blues" or IACOYIACOTOTSOYWMHMDTBBFOMSHB as aficionados like to call it.
I'll do a new tune in a little bit... you'll see why I did WKOFAI for my answer
Steve
Haha, sounds like a future "hidden clue" that your future song will have a long title. As long as it's not "I'm a Cranky Old Yank in a Clanky Old Tank on the Streets of Yokohama with My Honolulu Mama Doin' Those Beat-o, Beat-o Flat-On-My-Seat-o, Hirohito Blues" or IACOYIACOTOTSOYWMHMDTBBFOMSHB as aficionados like to call it.
Each letter in this scramble is either the first letter of each word in the title or the first letter of the first and last name of the singer and the songwriters...remember the letters are scrambled
Clue #1 Inspired by a crime....
SPECIAL RULE!!!! This is a collaboration!!!!! When you post your answer just rearrange the letters in the specific order of writers, singer, song... don’t leave any spaces...I’ll declare it the 50% winner..then...the next person must spell out all the words/names in full to complete the challenge...LOL
I love difficult puzzles, but without a random stroke of luck, IOW having the song just "dawn on me" --I think this will be nearly impossible without more clues.
Here's my "analysis" so far, maybe it will help another player...
If the singer is also one of the songwriters, then that singer/songwriter has to have the first/last name initials M and R or R and M, such as Marty Robbins or Roger McGuinn, since those are the only repeating letters, and the singer's initials would be repeated as one of the songwriters.
If so that would narrow the remaining letters to: AISCYBML --whereas at least two of those letters belong to at least one other songwriter, since "songwriters" plural is how VNORTH2 shapes the puzzle. "Brother, Can You Spare A..." ...ugh...no "D" in the puzzle letters.
But the above analysis could easily be a case of "barking up the wrong tree", as the singer could just as easily NOT be one of the songwriters!
If the singer in NOT one of the songwriters, the possibilities multiply endlessly...but this could at least mean the song is from the Fifties or Sixties where far more popular recordings were made by singers singing songs they did not have a hand in writing themselves. For instance, think of folk acts such as the Kingston Trio.
Immediately eliminate any titles that come to mind with "The" in the title, or any "T" word, for that matter.
If the singer and songwriters all have two names (iow aren't someone like "Bono"), then it follows
If there are 2 songwriters, then the title has 6 initials/words.
If there are 3 songwriters, then the title has 4 initials/words. If there are 4 songwriters, then the title has 2 initials/words. There are many bands where all members get songwriting credit for every song. For instance "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. Inspired by a crime, 4 songwriters, but alas, Freddie Mercury is the singer and there's no "F" in the clue.
None of the above has helped me find an answer yet. Perhaps with more clues, the possibilities will narrow somewhat.
Each letter in this scramble is either the first letter of each word in the title or the first letter of the first and last name of the singer and the songwriters...remember the letters are scrambled
Clue #1 Inspired by a crime....
SPECIAL RULE!!!! This is a collaboration!!!!! When you post your answer just rearrange the letters in the specific order of writers, singer, song... don’t leave any spaces...I’ll declare it the 50% winner..then...the next person must spell out all the words/names in full to complete the challenge...LOL
NEW CLUES!!!!
#2 This puzzle is so hard to beat you may need a "Hail Mary Pass" to figure it out
#3 A lot of folks were upset by what happened at the Grammy Awards this year
No more clues from me. I think there are sufficient clues to name the song, singer, and songwriters.
LOTS of clues about the singer. Figure out the singer, you figure out everything else. The clue directly above reveals significant information about the singer. Read closely!
The 50% answer is MRASBRICMYLM figured out by Michael Zaneski...to finish the challenge you have to find the words that each letter starts...the letters are now in their proper order starting with the names of the songwriters followed by the singer followed by the song..there are tons of clues to sort through...good luck..
Mike Reid, Allen Shamblin (songwriters), Bonnie Raitt, I Can’t Make You Love Me. Well, no way to get this without Mike’s puzzle solving skills! I thought Raitt wrote this. And, I remember when Mike Reid played for Penn State in the late ‘60s and was a concert pianist, with a follow-on career in the pros. I could be wrong, but I seem to remember he insured his hands/fingers because of the possibility of permanent injury. Anyway, good one! Had no idea Reid ended up in Nashville. John, you remember Mike Reid?
Mike Reid, Allen Shamblin (songwriters), Bonnie Raitt, I Can’t Make You Love Me. Well, no way to get this without Mike’s puzzle solving skills! I thought Raitt wrote this. And, I remember when Mike Reid played for Penn State in the late ‘60s and was a concert pianist, with a follow-on career in the pros. I could be wrong, but I seem to remember he insured his hands/fingers because of the possibility of permanent injury. Anyway, good one! Had no idea Reid ended up in Nashville. John, you remember Mike Reid?
Thanks, Craig. The title/artist appears multiple times in that link of "songs with six words" in my "analysis" post and I must've read it a bunch of times with eyes glazed over from being tired and didn't make the connection, last night. I simply kept thinking, as I read through that list that "it's probably not one of these, but a singer who also is a co-writer."
Also, I was looking specifically for songs that were OBVIOUSLY about a crime! Whoops! If I had read Steve more closely, I would have realized that "inspired by a crime" did NOT necessarily mean that there was, in fact, a crime descibed in the song...
Oh...and btw...CONGRATS---you've solved the remainder of the puzzle!!
Thanks, Steve. As I told Craig, I read "I Can't Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt" several times last night, in that list I posted of six-word-song-titles, but was tired and looking for a song that was obviously about a crime.
Next time I post a mystery song (in a few days or maybe a week or so) it's gonna be in this format. Very challenging!
quote=Michael Zaneski]Thanks, Steve. As I told Craig, I read "I Can't Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt" several times last night, in that list I posted of six-word-song-titles, but was tired and looking for a song that was obviously about a crime.
Next time I post a mystery song (in a few days or maybe a week or so) it's gonna be in this format. Very challenging![/quote]
Wait Mike ....I haven't quite learned how to operate my new quantum computer...OMG have I unleashed a monster...LOLOLOL
Thanks, Steve. As I told Craig, I read "I Can't Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt" several times last night, in that list I posted of six-word-song-titles, but was tired and looking for a song that was obviously about a crime.
Next time I post a mystery song (in a few days or maybe a week or so) it's gonna be in this format. Very challenging!
Wait Mike ....I haven't quite learned how to operate my new quantum computer...OMG have I unleashed a monster...LOLOLOL
Back to you John
Steve[/quote]
LMAO...thanks for that...and thanks for the great puzzle!
Thanks, Steve. As I told Craig, I read "I Can't Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt" several times last night, in that list I posted of six-word-song-titles, but was tired and looking for a song that was obviously about a crime.
Next time I post a mystery song (in a few days or maybe a week or so) it's gonna be in this format. Very challenging!
Originally Posted by VNORTH2
Wait Mike ....I haven't quite learned how to operate my new quantum computer...OMG have I unleashed a monster...LOLOLOL
Back to you John
Steve
LMAO...thanks for that...and thanks for the great puzzle!
You know, Mike...you could ask AI to create one for you ...I'm just saying....
What would be the fun in that?
I have to admit, I got a tad verbally abusive...with ChatGPT last night...I asked it to give me Names of artists with first initial "R" and second initial "M" and it would give me one, then any ol' last name beginning with any letter. And ChatGPT was apologizing, but still not able to follow this simple instruction for more than a few names in a row, and I began to feel guilty cuz I was saying "NO!!! THE LAST NAME MUST BEGIN WITH AN "M"!!!", and it kept apologizing, ...then I apologized to it...LOL...man that was weird!
You know, Mike...you could ask AI to create one for you ...I'm just saying....
What would be the fun in that?
I have to admit, I got a tad verbally abusive...with ChatGPT last night...I asked it to give me Names of artists with first initial "R" and second initial "M" and it would give me one, then any ol' last name beginning with any letter. And ChatGPT was apologizing, but still not able to follow this simple instruction for more than a few names in a row, and I began to feel guilty, cuz it was apologizing, ...then I apologized to it...LOL...man that was weird!
This is my favorite kind of feeling for this game--in that sweet spot, for me, where I can hum the ENTIRE song, but cannot name it for the life of me! I am not hearing any words (in my mind)...could this be an instrumental? (thinking to myself...)
And I keep seeing a covered wagon...that is probably going down a blind alley in the wild west, haha...
Washington Square is correct! Congrats Steve! Written by Bob Goldsteinn and David Shire. An instrumental released in 1963 by the Village Stompers, reaching No. 2 I think. Mike almost had it!
LOL ...When I heard the clip...the banjo at the start came to mind immediately..I googled what I thought the name might be and then heard the guitar opening the song...I'm always amazed how our minds dig deep into our past...who needs AI LOLOL
I didn't remember the tail end when it goes into ragtime. Just the first 2/3rds sounding all "wagon wheels" LOL...
Steve, you must be a few years older than me to have pulled that one out, song title and all. Congrats! Not on being older, haha...on naming it! I just played through a list of Sixties intrumentals on youtube, I was on the right track, but it was NOT on that list. Damn!!
By the way, Wikipedia spells his name Bobb Goldsteinn, two B’s two n’s. (Goldstein being one of the writers of the song). And has this strange paragraph about him:
Quote
In the fall of 1968, Goldsteinn returned to songwriting and crafted the lyrics for "Canterbury Road" to a melody by Curt Boettcher and friends. The song was written for pop singer Lou Christie and while it was not formally released, Roy Hallee made a copy of the mix and took it to Paul Simon; a few months later, "Bridge over Troubled Water" appeared. All master tape copies of "Canterbury Road" disappeared until 1990–1991, when an in-flight audiotape was found in a Dutch flea market. The song was finally released on a Lou Christie import album called Glory River in 1992.
This doesn’t even have a ‘citation needed’. The next paragraph scoots off into talking about Andy Warhol. Anyone ever heard of ‘Bridge’ being a derivation of another song? (Actually, there is an indirect allegation of some song stealing here.)
By the way, Wikipedia spells his name Bobb Goldsteinn, two B’s two n’s. (Goldstein being one of the writers of the song). And has this strange paragraph about him:
Quote
In the fall of 1968, Goldsteinn returned to songwriting and crafted the lyrics for "Canterbury Road" to a melody by Curt Boettcher and friends. The song was written for pop singer Lou Christie and while it was not formally released, Roy Hallee made a copy of the mix and took it to Paul Simon; a few months later, "Bridge over Troubled Water" appeared. All master tape copies of "Canterbury Road" disappeared until 1990–1991, when an in-flight audiotape was found in a Dutch flea market. The song was finally released on a Lou Christie import album called Glory River in 1992.
This doesn’t even have a ‘citation needed’. The next paragraph scoots off into talking about Andy Warhol. Anyone ever heard of ‘Bridge’ being a derivation of another song? (Actually, there is an indirect allegation of some song stealing here.)
Listened to "Canterbury Road" --absolutely no musical connection to "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Christie's voice on this, in its upper register, does remind me of a slightly pitchy Art Garfunkel, though.
I've never seen or heard anything about any part of BOTW being lifted from any other work.
But Simon has had some shady dealings. It's well known he "lifted" Martin Carthy's guitar arrangement of "Scarborough Fair." Simon happened to be in England when Carthy was performing his well known version (of the traditional tune) off his debut album. Never even mentioned Carthy in the "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme" liner notes.
Los Lobos got paid "scale" and were not credited for composing most the music on the song "All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints" off of Simon's "Graceland." "Sue me," Simon said, when they asked him about it:
So it wouldn't have surpised me if Simon had ripped off Lou Christie. Good to hear some later year LC from the "Lighning Strikes" guy, even if we're just talkin' '68.
Listened to about a minute of “Canterbury…” and it’s nothing like Bridge. Pretty cheesy song. Los Lobos expressed some regret they didn’t sue Simon. Didn’t have any recordings to proved ownership. I guess the whole band as witnesses wasn’t enuf? Mystery Tune #37 is next!
When I was a kid, KHJ radio in Los Angeles would occasionally have a contest where they would mix several songs together and the person that named the most would be declared the winner.
This is a variation on that, let's call it "Wall-Of-Sound Contest."
You will hear about 7 seconds of audio. There are seven five songs (left), all starting at the very beginning. I mix them in a way that each song has a "giveaway" moment. Points can only be scored by being the first person to name any of the songs. Each player should name as many as they can as soon as they can!
3 wrong song titles will result in disqualification!
The scoring goes like this:
First song named, 1 point Second song named: 2 points Third song named: 3 points Fourth song named 5 points Fifth song named: 8 points Sixth song named: 13 points Seventh Song named 21 points
Person with the most points wins!
FIRST CLUE: every song title has the name of a place in its title.
Additional clues will come when there's just a few songs left, and everyone seems stumped to go further...
As songs are named, I will remove them from the cacaphony, until the audio is thin enough that all songs are perceptible.
Well I listened about ten times..........I recognize a couple melodies but can't put a title to them. My ears don't "discern" as well as they used to I'm afraid. I'm still pondering a couple of the melodies and will get back ASAP if one comes to me.
Well I listened about ten times..........I recognize a couple melodies but can't put a title to them. My ears don't "discern" as well as they used to I'm afraid. I'm still pondering a couple of the melodies and will get back ASAP if one comes to me.
eddie
Thanks, Eddie. I'm sure you can name at least a few. Listen with headphones if at all possible.
I can name two: “Seattle” sung by Perry Como and others, and “It Never Rains in Southern California” by Albert Hammond. That’s only 3 points. No clue on the rest, so I’m heading for the clubhouse with, I think, 3 points!
I'm guessing on the strong snare sound.......Let'm in? by: Wings I recognize one other, but can't think of it yet.
eddie
No Eddie. Remember: All songs have a "place" in the title, like "Southern California" in the Albert Hammond Song. Be careful: 3 wrong guesses results in a disqualification. I hope you are using the "updated" links with just 5 songs left, easier, as I have deleted the original that had 7 songs, since 2 songs were guessed correctly:
When I was a kid, KHJ radio in Los Angeles would occasionally have a contest where they would mix several songs together and the person that named the most would be declared the winner.
This is a variation on that, let's call it "Wall-Of-Sound Contest."
You will hear about 7 seconds of audio. There are seven five songs (left), all starting at the very beginning. I mix them in a way that each song has a "giveaway" moment. Points can only be scored by being the first person to name any of the songs. Each player should name as many as they can as soon as they can!
3 wrong song titles will result in disqualification!
The scoring goes like this:
First song named, 1 point Second song named: 2 points Third song named: 3 points Fourth song named 5 points Fifth song named: 8 points Sixth song named: 13 points Seventh Song named 21 points
Person with the most points wins!
FIRST CLUE: every song title has the name of a place, such as a city, state, or country in its title.
Additional clues will come when there's just a few songs left, and everyone seems stumped to go further...
As songs are named, I will remove them from the cacaphony, until the audio is thin enough that all songs are perceptible.
Best of luck to everyone![/quote]
Okay, here's a clue to the most obscure song in the 5 song cacaphony.
It starts us off on our trip, halfway across the Northern Hemisphere.
We start where our last "guessed" song left us off: in Southern California.
The next song title has the name of a city in it that is about 140 miles southeast of Southern California. Mostly south, a tad east.
The bandleader/band was prolific, scoring numerous #1 albums and Top 40 INSTRUMENTAL hits, mostly in THE SIXTIES. The bandleader had a #1 hit as a solo artist where he sings.
Because I am restricting the audio to the very beginnings/intros of these songs, this particular song is hard to hear in this mix as it's a simple drum pattern punctuated by a couple honking sounds.
Guess this song and I'll take it out-of-the cacaphony, making the remaining 4 easier to hear.
Song 1) about 150 miles southeast of Southern California. Mostly south, slightly east. Song 2) about 1500 miles northeast of last location. Mostly east, slighlty north. Song 3) about 1400 miles northeast of last location. Mostly east, slightly north. Song 4) about 3400 miles northeast of last location. Mostly east, slightly north. Song 5) about 5000 miles southeast of last location. Mostly east, slightly south.*
*This city, state, or country goes by a different name now. Similar, but instead of beginning with a "C" as it does in song 5, it begins with a "K" now...
Remember: all songs have the name of a city, state, or country in their title. The audio is the first several seconds of the five songs played all-at-the-same-time.
If that were true, what would be a Top 40 hit they had that names (as PART of the songs title) a city, state, or country 150 miles southeast (mostly south, slighly east) of Southern California, and where, in the songs introduction, 2 honking sounds are heard?
All 5 songs are hidden in plain sight, in this audio clip you will hear 7 seconds of intro of ALL 5 playing at the same time. They ALL name a city, state, or county as part of their title, and can be geographically located following this guide:
Song 1) about 150 miles southeast of Southern California. Mostly south, slightly east. Song 2) about 1450 miles northeast of last location. Song 3) about 1400 miles northeast of last location. Mostly east, slightly north. Song 4) about 3400 miles northeast of last location. Mostly east, slightly north. Song 5) about 5000 miles southeast of last location. Mostly east, slightly south.*
*This city, state, or country goes by a different name now. Similar, but instead of beginning with a "C" as it does in song 5, it begins with a "K" now...
******************************************************************************************************************************************** I will now swap out the audio so that there are only 4 intros playing simultaneously...
It's best to play the game using the audio. Just 4 remaining songs; the cacaphony is thinning substantially!
There's the name of a city, state, or country that makes up (at least) part of the title of each of the remaining 4 songs:
Song 2) about 1450 miles northeast of Tijuana. Song 3) about 1400 miles northeast of last location. Mostly east, slightly north. Song 4) about 3400 miles northeast of last location. Mostly east, slightly north. Song 5) about 5000 miles southeast of last location. Mostly east, slightly south.* *This city, state, or country goes by a different name now. Similar, but instead of beginning with a "C" as it does in song 5, it begins with a "K" now...
I will add a written hint for song 2 if there's no further progress in a few hours or so...
But anyone feel free to name ALL 4 remaining songs, if you can!
It's best to play the game using the audio. Just 4 remaining songs; the cacaphony is thinning substantially!
There's the name of a city, state, or country that makes up (at least) part of the title of each of the remaining 4 songs:
Song 2) about 1450 miles northeast of Tijuana. An unusual word in the lyric: "overload" Song 3) about 1400 miles northeast of last location. Mostly east, slightly north. Song 4) about 3400 miles northeast of last location. Mostly east, slightly north. Song 5) about 5000 miles southeast of last location. Mostly east, slightly south.* *This city, state, or country goes by a different name now. Similar, but instead of beginning with a "C" as it does in song 5, it begins with a "K" now...
But anyone feel free to name ALL 4 remaining songs, if you can!
You are only hearing THREE SONGS simultaneously, now. The first seven seconds of each remaining song.
JUST THREE SONGS LEFT!!! I think you can make them ALL out, at this point?
REMEMBER...Each song has the name of a city, state, or country, at least in part, in its title.
Song 3) about 1400 miles northeast of Wichita, Kansas. Mostly east, slightly north. Song 4) about 3400 miles northeast of last location. Mostly east, slightly north. Song 5) about 5000 miles southeast of last location. Mostly east, slightly south.* *This city, state, or country goes by a different name now. Similar, but instead of beginning with a "C" as it does in song 5, it begins with a "K" now...
If no one can proceed further, I'll post a "word" clue for song 3, late tonight...
"England Swings" is Song 4 and is worth 8 points for Steve!
The score: Craig 2 Steve 16 Eddie 1
Song 3) about 1400 miles northeast of Wichita, Kansas. Mostly east, slightly north. Song 4) about 3400 miles northeast of last location. Mostly east, slightly north. (ENGLAND IS THE CORRECT LOCATION) Song 5) about 5000 miles southeast of ENGLAND. Mostly east, slightly south.* *This city, state, or country goes by a different name now. Similar, but instead of beginning with a "C" as it does in song 5, it begins with a "K" now...
"New York, New York" is correct and is worth 13 points for Steve!
Steve 29 ("Tijuana Taxi" 3rd song guessed, 3 points, "England Swings" 4th song guessed for 8 points, and "New York, New York" 5th song guessed, 13 points)
Craig 2 ("Seattle" second song guessed, 2 points)
Eddie 1 ("It Never Rains In Southern California, first song guessed, 1 point.)
no way for anyone to beat Steve's score of 29 points.
Song 5) about 5000 miles southeast of ENGLAND. Mostly east, slightly south.* *This city, state, or country goes by a different name now. Similar, but instead of beginning with a "C" as it does in song 5, it begins with a "K" now...
No more clues, no more thinning of the file, until tomorrow morning. I'll either play the last remaining song by itself, or I'll just give a written clue...
You can hear it in there already, you just can't name it, I think... So the endgame is fair, I will post that last clue at exactly 11 AM PST...
How the scoring has gone so far:
Steve 29 ("Tijuana Taxi" 3rd song guessed, 3 points, and "New York, New York" 5th song guessed, 13 points) Craig 2 ("Seattle" second song guessed) Eddie 1 ("It Never Rains In Southern California, first song guessed, 1 point.)
I just drew from my vast store of useless knowledge.....LOLOLOL
Thanks Mike for some more fun!
Thanks, Steve, and thanks for playing!
I like this 'audio cacophony' format as a game idea. Maybe starting with 7 songs is too many, though. Next time, I'll start with 4 or 5. Needs at least 2 or 3 players to make it interesting, though.
Here's a simple "letter scramble" puzzle to puzzle over:
FYSTMIRETFEF
Each letter in the above "scramble" is the first letter of a word aka an "initial".
Unscramble each letter/initial to uncover the singer, the songwriter(s), and the song title... --and then, just name the singer, songwriter(s), and song title, if you can!
No two part thingy, one person takes all.
This song had many recorded versions for many recording artists, over the years, but it didn't become really popular until a certain debut album included the song, a little over a decade after it was first written and several recordings of the song had already been recorded by several recording artists.
It would languish for another couple of years until this freshman recording artist was asked to have the song included in a certain movie by the director of that movie, where it would then unexpectedly become a massive hit, and this recording artist would then go on to have several top ten hits. The original songwriter would finally record the song on an album a little over a decade after that.
Remember: Each Letter in the scamble is an INITIAL (the first letter of a word) The complete scramble includes the initials of the singer, and songwriter:
FYSTMIRETFEF
all the clues so far:
This song had many recorded versions for many recording artists, over the years, but it didn't become really popular until a certain debut album included the song, a little over a decade after it was first written and several recordings of the song had already been recorded by several recording artists.
It would languish for another couple of years until this freshman recording artist was asked to have the song included in a certain movie by the director of that movie, where it would then unexpectedly become a massive hit, and this recording artist would then go on to have several top ten hits. The original songwriter would finally record the song on an album a little over a decade after that.
It was ALSO a first time director...
There's a reference to a different song, a jazz standard, in the title of the movie in which the-song-in-question appeared.
NEW CLUE: The song-in-question won at least one Grammy. NEW CLUE: There was just one songwriter and the singer was not the songwriter
Congrats to VNORTH2, aka Steve, you are THE WINNER!
"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" --1972 Grammy winner for Song of the Year AND Record of the Year, and it owes much of its success to its inclusion in "Play Misty For Me" --Clint Eastwood's directorial debut, in 1971.
Holy smokes ScotiaSteve takes the 12 word scramble that in hindsight with Michael's clues is just so easy....Roberta Flack.....The FTEISYF ....had no clue about writers......and Michael increasing the numbers of initials was mean and clever and made things more interesting .....(Michael note for next time=== Carol Bayer Sager songs might rate a little higher on the mean index )
I had no clue when I saw it and actually tried to use Google LOL and got nowhere. Did have fun trying
Come on Craig, we need a few more notes--sounds like an intro?
eddie
Oh, boy. A few more notes would give it away, I think…this is not the intro to this hit song. The song is not from the sixties, a bit later. The 8 notes played here is the beginning vocal.
A couple more clues. This song was released in 1978 and reached number 5, Billboard, though it’s not on Billboard’s top 100 songs of 1978. Several Spotify playlists do include this song as a top 100 of 1978…
Okay, I’ll try that letter scramble with another clue or two. This group had five top 40 hits in the mid- to late ‘70s. And…reading from Wikipedia now, this song peaked at No. 3 in 1978, not 5 as I stated earlier. They were known as a progressive rock group and they have a one word name that begins with one of these letters: (song title, band name, song name all scrambled)
MHFIADP
The songwriter, group member, and singer’s initials are not scrambled.
I had no memory of this song, until I listened, and yeah, just the "that's how much" at the end of the chorus rang a bell.
Ambrosia is about as "progressive rock" as Pat Boone, IMHO. This song, at least, is pure "soft rock", and tips its hand as late Seventies with all those major seventh chords...after wading through 1978 on youtube, I don't ever wanna hear another major seventh chord ever again, LOL.
Craig that was a cool song--remember it for sure, but I couldn't get it!
Alright.......here is something different. This bass guitar run (I'm not played on a bass however) was from a popular mid 60's garage-type pop song that was popular with a lot of local bands. Bass players will have the advantage here first. If no one can get it, I'll add some chords or another clue out. There were several covers of this song with varied tempos--my version is slower.
I was a little surprised at the difference in the covers this song received in arrangements and tempo from rhythm & Blues feel to garage rock. The bass run I played was a bit from "memory" and based on a 1966 faster tempo version than I had realized.......speed it up in your mind might help. The original songwriter claimed the song was stolen from his folk song collection. If no help, the chords will give it away upcoming.
Yes, "The Leaves" version is the one a lot of 60's local bands played that song which was before the Hendrix cover. According to Youtube, Billy Roberts wrote the original song. I wasn' t a fan of what I called Garage Band music back then as it sounded like everyone playing too loud and not on the best equipment usually. I had a bass player teach me that riff and I just remembered it vaguely--hey that was a long time ago and I was about 15 in 1966!
Congrats, you win a small box of Sun Maid raisens!
Very elegant clue. Kind of "Puzzle Minimalism" with just 3 initials/letters that each repeat once.
So I imagine that when looking for Eddie's song yesterday you were glancing at "best garage band hits of the Sixties" cuz a top five song on anyone's list would work here, only problem is it leaves just a "T" and a "K" --one letter band and one word song. Coming up zilch despite countless lists of one word song titles.
So maybe this is a red herring?
I PM'd you two songs/bands that work to solve your puzzle, but I can't imagine it's not the one hinted at above.
Very elegant clue. Kind of "Puzzle Minimalism" with just 3 initials/letters that each repeat once.
So I imagine that when looking for Eddie's song yesterday you were glancing at "best garage band hits of the Sixties" cuz a top five song on anyone's list would work here, only problem is it leaves just a "T" and a "K" --one letter band and one word song. Coming up zilch despite countless lists of one word song titles.
So maybe this is a red herring?
I PM'd you two songs/bands that work to solve your puzzle, but I can't imagine it's not the one hinted at above.
your official guess is correct in your pm ...good job
Just to clarify, for anyone else playing, the song I thought might be a red herring (top five all-time Sixties garage band song that leaves just a "T" and a "K") was indeed a red herring, a road to nowhere, so beware!
If it's Louie Louie by The Kingsmen.............I listened and listened to those lyrics a hundred times I would guess and heard some of the phrases, but still unclear on others. Does anyone hear remember Steve Allen reciting pop lyrics in a sophisticated delivery on TV? It was hilarious. This is just one song he recited below.
Wild guess: The Kinks, “Lola” and The Knickerbockers, “Lies.” Does this get me honorable mention? (I see where Mike probably got it already!)(And I’m probably wrong.)
This came out when I was 18 and playing in a Rock band...,as soon as I heard it ....It's The Beatles...that still holds true today..they had them down pat
Songwriter Jerry Fuller clue clinched for me…indirect clue anyway. Wrote for Gary P. and The Union Gap and wrote “Lies.” Drummer for The Knickerbockers left for the Righteousness Brothers, replacing Bill Medley….
John, I really don't think this answer will be correct, but as I haven't heard the song I'm thinking in years but it somehow triggered "Don't fence me in."
I may have to re-think this one. There are famous versions that don't use this in the intro. Doris Day being one of them. Maybe in a little bit I'll post a few notes of the title melody. Darn, I should've done more research.
Don't be down on yourself, John...I have an unfair advantage...I'm communicating with my dearly departed mother's spirit...that's the only way I seem to be answering some of these tunes correctly... she sang many of these songs back in the day...LOLOLOL
Don't be down on yourself, John...I have an unfair advantage...I'm communicating with my dearly departed mother's spirit...that's the only way I seem to be answering some of these tunes correctly... she sang many of these songs back in the day...LOLOLOL
Well Craig, that narrows it down to these: Bee Gees The Chordettes Eagles The Four Aces The Four Freshmen Gladys Knight and The Pips The Lennon Sisters The Lettermen The McGuire Sisters Michigan Jake The Oak Ridge Boys The Pied Pipers Smokey Robinson and The Miracles The Vogues The Weavers
Out of that list and the notes you gave. I lean towards the Bee Gees.
Not The Bee Gees. The group is on that list John! Clue: this song was the main theme song for a comedy show in the ‘90s-mid 2000s. The star of this show still works in TV but in a different capacity than actor. Hope this helps!
I remember their hit song "Turn around, look at me." That song had a "Letterman" feel/vibe with the harmonies. I remember "5 o'clock world" but never associated it with The Vogues.........just one of those 60's songs that you heard but never realized who recorded it I guess, certainly 180 degrees from the "Turn around look at me" song!
The Vogues.........just one of those 60's songs that you heard but never realized who recorded it I guess, certainly 180 degrees from the "Turn around look at me" song!
There are a lot of those. "Sincerely" by the McGuire Sisters was popular when I was a child. But the three syllables can be one word as in this case, two words, or three one syllable words, such as I Love You.
I am kind of stuck on this tune from a movie in the eighties. It is from an act called Sniff "n' The Years called Driver's Seat. That is as much that I can reflect back with this.
Each letter is either the first letter of each word in a title or the first letter of the first and last name of the original recording artist and song writer
This song had a title change.. name both titles, original recording artist and songwriter
My brain just started making that beeping sound that heavy equipment vehicles make when they're backing up..........can you give us a small melody to hear? I'll wait on more clues however, but off to an biz appt for now!
My brain just started making that beeping sound that heavy equipment vehicles make when they're backing up..........can you give us a small melody to hear? I'll wait on more clues however, but off to an biz appt for now!
I never was good at scrambled letters Steve. Do you know the notes? Maybe something like this: C - C - (octave higher)/ B G A (faster notes) B- (longer note) C- (same as second C). These are the title notes to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" . Where's Michael? He's good at scrambled letters.
Even though it won a grammy, it was written and recorded a few years before the grammys started giving out hardware...and the grammy wasn't a "in recognition for..." win , the win was legit
Each letter is either the first letter of each word in a title or the first letter of the first and last name of the original recording artist and song writer
This song had a title change.. name both titles, original recording artist and songwriter
CLUES!!!
It won a grammy...good luck
Both titles covered hundreds of times
The time signature was changed from 3/4 to 4/4
With all the travel going on, here, there and everywhere, this song may just make another comeback....
Even though it won a grammy, it was written and recorded a few years before the grammys started giving out hardware...and the grammy wasn't a "in recognition for..." win, the win was legit
A female singer, had a big part in the name change
when you find out who the original recording artist is, you just might laugh...lol
Six men were given a special performance of the song.., they were quite high at the time
It won a grammy...good luck 5th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Performance by an Orchestra – for Dancing.[2
Both titles covered hundreds of times
The time signature was changed from 3/4 to 4/4- Quincy Jones made the change
With all the travel going on, here, there and everywhere, this song may just make another comeback....Artemis 1,2,3
Even though it won a grammy, it was written and recorded a few years before the grammys started giving out hardware...and the grammy wasn't a "in recognition for..." win, the win was legit 5th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Performance by an Orchestra – for Dancing.[2
A female singer, had a big part in the name change = Peggy Lee asked songwriter Bart Howard to change the name
when you find out who the original recording artist is, you just might laugh...lol- Kaye Ballard known more as a comedian
Six men were given a special performance of the song.., they were quite high at the time Apollo 10, 11
I have an idea... To perhaps encourage participation...
1- Must post at least a partial melody and give 3 good hints at a well known song after 1950 lol 2- If nobody guesses the song, participants must help the poster make a "cover" recording of the song... (at the poster's discretion)
I have an idea... To perhaps encourage participation...
1- Must post at least a partial melody and give 3 good hints at a well known song after 1950 lol 2- If nobody guesses the song, participants must help the poster make a "cover" recording of the song... (at the poster's discretion)
That's way to complicated for me...lolol...sounds like work...
Clue: the song rose to No. 9 on the U.S. charts. The male singer and his wife were regulars on the various entertainment shows of the ‘60s. The singer’s initials are below unscrambled. The first letter of each word in the title song is also below, scrambled:
I asked Siri...........she had her opinion, but I won't cheat. I'm not sure she is correct however, but my guess this is a classical piece perhaps used in an old movie production.
I asked Siri...........she had her opinion, but I won't cheat. I'm not sure she is correct however, but my guess this is a classical piece perhaps used in an old movie production.
Sounds familiar.......I think I remember hearing that from my baby crib right after a music commercial "I like Ike!" Can't place it yet however........
Got to be a Hank Williams song as your football hint gave that part away. I didn't recognize the song however--wasn't Cheat'n Heart or Hey Hey Good Looking......I cheated and looked, see if someone can guess without looking.
Yup, good ol' Hank Sr. Not only was he the most prolific country songwriter of all time, this particular song is the most "covered" country song of all.
Yes John! Paul Anka wrote the song and it charted for him in 1960. Later, Donnie Osmond saw it reach No. 2 Billboard in 1972. Congrats! #54 is next anyone. Don’t make it this easy… 🙂
Lol... I just looked up the song on Youtube. Probably should have done that beforehand... I was just goofing around and fell into something from memory, but it's not even in the right key lol. It's "close enough" however So, here's some lyrics...
I had it yesterday when I first heard it but then I said "no" it sounds like it but not quite..then I read your post..LMAO..this is one of my all time favorite songs so when i saw "got a call"...lolol
I had it yesterday when I first heard it but then I said "no" it sounds like it but not quite..then I read your post..LMAO..this is one of my all time favorite songs so when i saw "got a call"...lolol
If his music success wasn't enough in that time period, why not have the most beautiful super model Christy Brinkley at your side too..........Billy Joel and the "piano man" definitely a big part of American Pop Americana! (I would have got this one immediately had I checked in).
4 notes are not necessarily easy unless you know the 4 notes following.............but I am going to take a wild guess as I think these notes are correct for the song by Roger Miller, "King of the Road?"
I wasn't really sure, but I guess 4 notes were enough! I'll try and post one when I get some time--heading out on the road for biz........"Exit, stage Right!"
Congrats to Eddie & Steve! We're up to Mystery Tune #60! BTW, Doris Day sang the original in 1933. Then the Mamas & the Poppas. Actually Ozzie Nelson did it in 1931. Then many, many more did it.Doris Day Version
Yes she is Japov! She was great in the movie "Young At Heart". She was always portrayed as a proper/ goody-two-shoes girl. In real life she was quite the opposite. Here's the entire movie: Young At Heart
Yes she is Japov! She was great in the movie "Young At Heart". She was always portrayed as a proper/ goody-two-shoes girl. In real life she was quite the opposite. Here's the entire movie: Young At Heart
LOL... Great opening scene I may actually watch this
In later years she was primarily known as an animal rights activist. Had the trifecta. First known as a singer, then as an actress, and finally for her animal rights work. Passed at age 97 shortly after Carol Channing, who was also 97.
Mystery song #60 -- Something a little different. Which movie is this ending sound track clip from? If you've seen the movie--an easy one. (My vocal interpretation).
Yep...... (Dialog) "What's on the spit? Grown particular? You cook good rabbit pilgrim.....Would you happen to know what month it is? No, I don't believe I do. April. I don't believe April, March maybe......March is a green and muddy month down below, some folks like it......farmers mostly. Winter stays long this high......"
Hundreds of covers for this song, including Judy Holiday, Nat King Cole, Bobby Darin, Doris Day, LeAnn Rimes, and the list goes on... Written in the 1950's.
According to Astro, they're the Retsons! (Rall-right Reorge)!
I wasn't around when this theme song was posted - would have recognized it as its already an earworm for me at times. Driving down the road I may start singing the song. Another one I get often is the 3's Company theme song--all become annoying.......
This song was recorded by two artists in the ‘60s and reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also a number 2 on the easy listening charts 1966. Written by Tony Hatch. Easy clues now!
Tony Hatch wrote the song for Petula Clark. She recorded it, but it was later recorded by an artist who had his first hit in 1962. His first and last name initials match the song’s two word title. It was not one of Clark’s 15 top 40 songs.
I don't engage NAME THAT TUNE, because it's not my inclination. However, I noticed this morning that there were 604 looking at GEN DISC and 289 looking at MP3. It seems attributable to the appeal of this thread. Not that long ago the logins were typically about even between the two threads.
Regards and congrats to John LS for getting that done for this site.
I don't engage NAME THAT TUNE, because it's not my inclination. However, I noticed this morning that there were 604 looking at GEN DISC and 289 looking at MP3. It seems attributable to the appeal of this thread. Not that long ago the logins were typically about even between the two threads.
Regards and congrats to John LS for getting that done for this site.
Martin
Thanks Martin, but it was Brian's idea to make this a permanent thread.
I don't engage NAME THAT TUNE, because it's not my inclination. However, I noticed this morning that there were 604 looking at GEN DISC and 289 looking at MP3. It seems attributable to the appeal of this thread. Not that long ago the logins were typically about even between the two threads.
Regards and congrats to John LS for getting that done for this site.
Martin
Thanks Martin, but it was Brian's idea to make this a permanent thread.
Then you both should be praised for making something ascendant and musical grow here.
Okay, clues: the group who sang this number 3 hit from 1966 had six other top ten hits. The song has four credited writers. The song’s title contains these scrambled letters: JSSM. Leon Russell is one of the credited writers.
The zombies were having fun (tennis shoe, wa hoo) The party had just begun (tennis shoe, wa hoo) The guests included Wolfman, Dracula and his son The scene was rockin', all were digging the sounds Igor on chains, backed by his baying hounds The coffin-bangers were about to arrive With their vocal group, 'The Crypt-Kicker Five'
I knew that wouldn't last very long! Here's the tune, and a couple of pretty darn good singers! I simply love this beautiful duet by these two pros.......
Every time I hear this it makes me want to learn the Italian language! (This would be a great appropriate funeral song)...............
This song was performed by a group that had two top 40 hits at the ‘height of Beatlemania.’ The group did not write these hits, but two members left the group when it folded and had successful careers writing jingles for TV commercials, etc.
Well, here are the 75 or songs featured so far in the Name That Tune Challenge. Great song challenge John! Never would have gotten that one…
1. Secret Love, Doris Day 2. My One and Only Love, Frank Sinatra 3. Time After Time, artists varied 4. Tammy, Debbie Reynolds 5. Runaway, Del Shannon 6. One Day at a Time, Christy Lane 7. Little Red Riding Hood, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs 8. Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do), Christopher Cross 9. Gloria, Them 10. Skipped 11. Someday Soon, Judy Collins 12. In My Life, The Beatles 13. Minuet in G, Beethoven 14. Fever, Peggy Lee 15. Skipped 16. A Soft Place to Fall, Allison Moorer From the Horse Whisperer 17. Love and Marriage, Sinatra 18. Desperado, Linda Ronstadt 19. Time After Time, Sinatra (a duplicate of #3?) 20. La vie en rose, artists varied, (Two 20s) Pennsylvania Polka, artists varied 21. Skipped 22. Norwegian Wood, The Beatles 23. Chim Chim Cher-ee, Dick Van Dyke 24. Two Song Challenge. 1) Which Way You Going Billy, 2) Billy Don’t Be a Hero, 1) Poppy Family, 2) Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods (U.S.); Poppy Family (U.K.) 25. I’ll Be Home for Christmas, Bing Crosby 26. Games People Play, Joe South 27. Sweet Pea, Tommy Roe 28. Sheila, Tommy Roe 29. Beyond the Sea, Bobby Darrin 30. Town Without Pity, Gene Pitney 31. God Only Knows, The Beach Boys 32. Can’t Get Used to Losing You, Andy Williams 33. Tangerine, from The Fleet’s In 34. What Kind of Fool Am I, Sammy Davis, Jr. 35. I Can’t Make You Love Me, Bonnie Raitt 36. Washington Square, Village Stompers 37. The Toy Parade, Leave it to Beaver Theme Song 38. It Never Rains in Southern California, Seattle, Tijuana Taxi, New York New York, England Swings, Wichita Lineman, Calcutta (an ‘audio cacophony’ for points) 39. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Roberta Flack 40. How Much I Feel, Ambrosia 41. Hey Joe, Jimmy Hendrix 42. Lola, The Kinks; Lies, the Knickerbockers (two song challenge); A Bushel and a Peck, Dorris Day (two 42s) 43. 5 O’Clock World, The Vogues 44. What a Wonderful World, Louie Armstrong 45. Mama Tried, Merle Haggard 46. Atlantis, Donovan 47. Fly Me to the Moon, Frank Sinatra 48. Portrait of My Love, Steve Lawrence 49. Lover Man, Billie Holiday 50. Lay It Down, Ratt 51. Hooray for Captain Spaulding, You Bet Your Life (Groucho Marx) 52. Jambalaya, Hank Williams 53. Puppy Love, Paul Anka, Donny O. 54. Come Sail Away, Styx 55. My Life, Billy Joel 56. Dion (challenge was to name a mystery singer from photo) 57. King of the Road, Roger Miller 58. Sundown, Gordon Lightfoot 59. Dream a Little Dream of Me, Mamas & The Papas, Doris Day 60. The Way That You Wander, from Jeremiah Johnson 61. The Party’s Over, Judy Holiday 62. He, Al Hibbler 63. Jetson’s Theme, Hoyt Curtin 64. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Fred Rogers 65. Love Theme from St. Elmo’s Fire, John Parr & David Foster 66. Call Me, Petula Clark, Chris Montez 67. Highway to Hell, AC/DC 68. The Nearness of You, Frank Sinatra & 61 other covers 69. Just My Style, Gary Lewis & The Playboys 70. Ramble On, Led Zeppelin 71. Incense & Peppermint, Strawberry Alarm Clock 72. Monster Mash, Bobby “Boris” Pickett 73. Time To Say Goodbye, Andrea Bocelli 74. Turn Down Day, The Cyrkle 75. You Always Hurt The One You Love, The Mills Brothers
I recognize it, but can't place it yet. I have too many synapse road blocks in the old noggin. I'm thinking D Fogleberg maybe. I'll think on it, and not going to cheat and look up 77 hits yet!
Just read up on Neil Peart. Got associated with Buddy Rich tribute albums through an invite from Rich’s daughter. Loved Buddy Rich..too bad about Peart’s cancer and early death at 67.
The first time I heard 2112 I was hooked! Saw them at Anaheim Stadium during "Grace Under Pressure" tour Neil was a total BadAss! Never minded their Libertarian perspective
Borge on stage would leave the piano and ask an audience member, “Do you like music?” When the answer was yes, he’d retrieve the sheet music from the piano, give it to the person sitting in the audience, and say, “Here, have some.” One of a kind!
A little clue: this song charted in the top ten in 1967. It was this group’s only top 40 song. The group got started in Greenwich Village, but the mystery song has been categorized as somewhere between Sunshine Pop and Bubblegum.
Clue 2: The Man From U.N.C.L.E., “Karate Killers.” This group was managed by MGM, the same company that produced this popular TV show..their song was featured…hope this helps!
I remember it too. Great song! Wes Farrell (“Hang On Sloopy,” “Boys,” “Come A Little Bit Closer”) heard their first audition and signed them on the spot.
A backing rhythm melody for verses of song. On the LP however, this backing melody is played on the piano and NOT the exact vocal verse melody..........Does this ring a bell with anyone?
Okay boys.......here's a few more measures including chorus in between verses. This should do it if your familiar with the very, very, vanilla artwork of this album cover. An early song I learned many moons ago on guitar.
No, Craig, but let me put the 2 verses followed by chorus in order--that should help. Here's a new post. (my tempo is a little slower than the original, but I'm just "wing'n it).
Close, Its tough because vocal melody not given..........Listen to the chords at chorus, after 2 verses. I should have listened to the original then recorded it a bit faster tempo.Cry baby cry
That’s it! That was pretty fast Eddie - song is a combination of an older sax instrumental and then a couple of guys put lyrics to the tune…always liked it.
John ...I was just about to post a scramble song ...it was going to be A World Without Love
here it is (was)
WMWGLPAAP
Massive hit song written by one of the world’s greatest songwriters/singers....but never sang it.....#1 in many countries...looking for the singers, songwriter and name of song
John ...I was just about to post a scramble song ...it was going to be A World Without Love
here it is (was)
WMWGLPAAP
Massive hit song written by one of the world’s greatest songwriters/singers....but never sang it.....#1 in many countries...looking for the singers, songwriter and name of song
Hmm... that should narrow it down. Berlin only wrote about 1,500 songs. He used mostly the black keys on the piano. A special piano was made for him for transposing.
Has anyone compiled a list of all the songs that have been used?
Such a list could benefit a newcomer who wanted to play or MC.
It could also be useful for me as I intend to play and occasionally MC a round or two--ie I wouldn't want to "host" a song that's already been used--that's already been the correct answer. I obviously haven't been around, and I've missed a bunch of songs.
So if no one has any such list, I'll spend a few days compiling one, myself, and I'll share it here, just for reference. And then hopefully help keep this wonderful game afloat.
Hey Michael! I posted a list a couple of pages back in this thread…here’s an updated list:
1. Secret Love, Doris Day 2. My One and Only Love, Frank Sinatra 3. Time After Time, artists varied 4. Tammy, Debbie Reynolds 5. Runaway, Del Shannon 6. One Day at a Time, Christy Lane 7. Little Red Riding Hood, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs 8. Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do), Christopher Cross 9. Gloria, Them 10. Skipped 11. Someday Soon, Judy Collins 12. In My Life, The Beatles 13. Minuet in G, Beethoven 14. Fever, Peggy Lee 15. Skipped 16. A Soft Place to Fall, Allison Moorer From the Horse Whisperer 17. Love and Marriage, Sinatra 18. Desperado, Linda Ronstadt 19. Time After Time, Sinatra (a duplicate of #3?) 20. La vie en rose, artists varied, (Two 20s) Pennsylvania Polka, artists varied 21. Skipped 22. Norwegian Wood, The Beatles 23. Chim Chim Cher-ee, Dick Van Dyke 24. Two Song Challenge. 1) Which Way You Going Billy, 2) Billy Don’t Be a Hero, 1) Poppy Family, 2) Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods (U.S.); Poppy Family (U.K.) 25. I’ll Be Home for Christmas, Bing Crosby 26. Games People Play, Joe South 27. Sweet Pea, Tommy Roe 28. Sheila, Tommy Roe 29. Beyond the Sea, Bobby Darrin 30. Town Without Pity, Gene Pitney 31. God Only Knows, The Beach Boys 32. Can’t Get Used to Losing You, Andy Williams 33. Tangerine, from The Fleet’s In 34. What Kind of Fool Am I, Sammy Davis, Jr. 35. I Can’t Make You Love Me, Bonnie Raitt 36. Washington Square, Village Stompers 37. The Toy Parade, Leave it to Beaver Theme Song 38. It Never Rains in Southern California, Seattle, Tijuana Taxi, New York New York, England Swings, Wichita Lineman, Calcutta (an ‘audio cacophony’ for points) 39. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Roberta Flack 40. How Much I Feel, Ambrosia 41. Hey Joe, Jimmy Hendrix 42. Lola, The Kinks; Lies, the Knickerbockers (two song challenge); A Bushel and a Peck, Dorris Day (two 42s) 43. 5 O’Clock World, The Vogues 44. What a Wonderful World, Louie Armstrong 45. Mama Tried, Merle Haggard 46. Atlantis, Donovan 47. Fly Me to the Moon, Frank Sinatra 48. Portrait of My Love, Steve Lawrence 49. Lover Man, Billie Holiday 50. Lay It Down, Ratt 51. Hooray for Captain Spaulding, You Bet Your Life (Groucho Marx) 52. Jambalaya, Hank Williams 53. Puppy Love, Paul Anka, Donny O. 54. Come Sail Away, Styx 55. My Life, Billy Joel 56. Dion (challenge was to name a mystery singer from photo) 57. King of the Road, Roger Miller 58. Sundown, Gordon Lightfoot 59. Dream a Little Dream of Me, Mamas & The Papas, Doris Day 60. The Way That You Wander, from Jeremiah Johnson 61. The Party’s Over, Judy Holiday 62. He, Al Hibbler 63. Jetson’s Theme, Hoyt Curtin 64. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Fred Rogers 65. Love Theme from St. Elmo’s Fire, John Parr & David Foster 66. Call Me, Petula Clark, Chris Montez 67. Highway to Hell, AC/DC 68. The Nearness of You, Frank Sinatra & 61 other covers 69. Just My Style, Gary Lewis & The Playboys 70. Ramble On, Led Zeppelin 71. Incense & Peppermint, Strawberry Alarm Clock 72. Monster Mash, Bobby “Boris” Pickett 73. Time To Say Goodbye, Andrea Bocelli 74. Turn Down Day, The Cyrkle 75. You Always Hurt The One You Love, The Mills Brothers 76. Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree, Andrews Sisters 77. Closer To The Heart, Rush 78. Come On Down To My Boat, Every Mother’s Son 79. Cry, Baby, Cry, The Beatles 80. Spooky, Classics IV 81. A World Without Love, Peter and Gordon 82. Putting’ on the Ritz, Fred Astaire (Irving Berlin)
I might like to hear what Phil Spector’s girl groups could do with this song. Clue: the song reached 66 on Billboard 100. But it’s number 8 in concert requests for his abundant fans…
Wow Craig, your 2nd clue was no help for me, then you mention "calypso is close" --and Belafonte was the first person I thought of yesterday, but could not find any song that charted low that matched the melody, and his stats were almost the same: one top ten (Day-o aka Banana Boat Song) but 7 USA top ten, not 8, and no peak at #66 on the chart I'm looking at, but 7 is so close and Belafonte is so Calypso that I feel the need to go examine closer his singles that charted low in the hopes that you were quoting different charts than I was looking at.
Once I've eliminated Harry Belafonte, though, I'm back at square zero...ugh...
Wow Craig, your 2nd clue was no help for me, then you mention "calypso is close" --and Belafonte was the first person I thought of yesterday, but could not find any song that charted low that matched the melody, and his stats were almost the same: one top ten (Day-o aka Banana Boat Song) but 7 USA top ten, not 8, and no peak at #66 on the chart I'm looking at, but 7 is so close and Belafonte is so Calypso that I feel the need to go examine closer his singles that charted low in the hopes that you were quoting different charts than I was looking at.
Once I've eliminated Harry Belafonte, though, I'm back at square zero...ugh...
Hmm. I was thinking after posting the number of top 40 songs was 8 for this artist I thought it was wrong. When I was finally able to look at Billboard this artist had 7 top 40 songs - but it’s not Belafonte! The Calypso is just a general reference, though the artist’s songs would fit a sub-tropical/tropical theme. The artist who sang and co-wrote the mystery tune was a writer for Billboard Magazine around the late ‘60s.
who who who had crossed over onto USA charts THAT much?
Not Ricki Martin, not Desi Arnaz, (not enough hits) --not even Julio Iglesias, who would never have sung something so perkily Calypso or Sub-tropical/Tropical...
SO I reigned it in and asked myself...what about Miami? Or Fla. in general, and then Jimmy Buffett came to mind.
So I Google searched "Jimmy Buffett writer/wrote for Billboard magazine", and BINGO!
Then it was simply searching his Billboard discography for a peak at #66 on the USA chart.
And I knew the song, but it had totally escaped memory. I would never have guessed it without the extra clues.
"Volcano" by Jimmy Buffett
which seems like a second cousin to Belafonte's "Matilda" if you think about it. THAT's why I was thinking Belafonte.
Great clue, total earworm material, so dangerous with obsessive types like me. Cue up end credit, Outer Limits music...
"We now return control of Mike's brain to Mike..."
Haha, your "hmm" John, made me laugh out loud...endearing and mysterious.
I guess we need to wait for Craig to confirm "Volcano" by Jimmy Buffett is correct, but it is, cuz it would be too big a coincidence that it peaked at #66 and the melody matches perfectly...
Okay, tag, I'm it...got one...this should be quick and easy for you guys, but maybe different and fun. It's a simple and (hopefully) elegant attempt at conveying an introduction to a song, just using plain ol' words.
Song clue #83:
A woman's voice is going to give you guided imagery that, if listened to closely will lead you to at least being able to imagine or play the clue that I am NOT providing audio for!
I think we all know what a (musical) chord (as in "major" or "minor" chord) is, so we are all equipped to follow the speaker who will engage your attention for a minute:
When I say "name the artist" I use the word "artist" loosely in that it can mean any configuration/number of people, IOW a single person, duo, trio, band, etc.
Both the original and hit versions have intros that start with just an electric keyboard of some kind, not an acoustic piano.
to recap:
the original artist (solo performer, duo, trio, band, etc) plays the same minor chord twenty times before changing chords and sings the title on the 17th time that minor chord occurs, and at a rate of slightly faster than twice a second do those repeated chords get played.
The song was written and originally recorded by a man. The hit version was recorded by a group.
Clue #1:
Both the original and hit versions have intros that start with just an electric keyboard of some kind, not an acoustic piano.
to recap:
the original artist (solo performer, duo, trio, band, etc) who is a man plays the same minor chord twenty times before changing chords and sings the title on the 17th occurrence of that chord, and at a rate of slightly faster than one every half a second do those repeated chords get played.
The band/group version aka the hit version (with the shorter intro) made it to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. This same band would have their first number one hit soon thereafter. It would be with a song written by the same guy that our mystery song's original songwriter/performer would "cover" an entire album's worth of his material. This, at around the same time the band/group was heading to #1 for the first time.
Clue #2:
The song was written and originally recorded by a man. The hit version was recorded by a group.
Clue #1:
Both the original and hit versions have intros that start with just an electric keyboard of some kind, not an acoustic piano.
to recap:
the original artist (solo performer, duo, trio, band, etc) who is a man plays the same minor chord twenty times before changing chords and sings the title on the 17th occurrence of that chord, and at a rate of slightly faster than one every half a second do those repeated chords get played.
After a couple of days of trying to imitate a piano with my guitar, I’m pretty good at nailing 120 BPM timing
I’ve also been pondering “tonight you are late, an elegant fit, you thrust your right hand, the piano bench is keeping you from sitting...are they clues to the words or just a distraction?”
I think I’ve got it...the only things missing, for me, are...Name of the song, the original version artist, and the hit version artist. In other words NADA
This is the actual AUDIO of the intro to the original version by the original songwriter/performer. On the very next beat/repeat of chord he sings the title!
Note to Steve--I didn't want to be too clever, but the speaker being British is a red herring. "An elegant fit, being the first song... a CLEVER fit (it being the FIRST song) might have been said, as well...my experiment was more along the lines of simply using guided imagery instead of actual music/audio.
Talking about the piano bench is simply an attempt to organically work into the narrative there's two different versions, a version by a group that became a hit that shortens the intro by half, and the original version with the longer intro. The piano bench makes the oldies performer realize he has to do "the long version" on this given night, so he can get seated before he has to be singing.
Clue #3:
The band/group version aka the hit version (with the shorter intro) made it to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. This same band would have their first number one hit soon thereafter. It would be with a song written by the same guy that our mystery song's original songwriter/performer would "cover" an entire album's worth of his material. This, at around the same time the band/group was heading to #1 for the first time.
Clue #2:
The song was written and originally recorded by a man. The hit version was recorded by a group.
Clue #1:
Both the original intro starts with just an electric keyboard of some kind, the hit version, an acoustic piano.
to recap:
the original artist,a man, plays the same minor chord twenty times before changing chords and sings the title on the 17th occurrence of that chord, and at a rate of slightly faster than one every half a second do those repeated chords get played.
This is the audio from the hit version by the group/band of our mystery song. On the very next beat/repeated chord, the singer sings the title. It as an acoustic piano, obviously. I said in clue one it was an electric piano cuz I accidentally auditioned a "live" version that played the intro with an electric keyboard. I sincerely hope my initial clue didn't steer anyone away from the correct answer!
This is the actual AUDIO of the intro to the original version by the original songwriter/performer. On the very next beat/repeat of chord he sings the title!
Note to Steve--I didn't want to be too clever, but the speaker being British is a red herring. "An elegant fit, being the first song... a CLEVER fit (it being the FIRST song) might have been said, as well...my experiment was more along the lines of simply using guided imagery instead of actual music/audio.
Talking about the piano bench is simply an attempt to organically work into the narrative that there's two different versions, a version by a group that became a hit that shortens the intro by half, and the original version with the longer intro. The piano bench makes the oldies performer realize he has to do "the long version" on this given night, so he can get seated before he has to be singing.
Clue #3:
The band/group version aka the hit version (with the shorter intro) made it to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. This same band would have their first number one hit soon thereafter. It would be with a song written by the same guy that our mystery song's original songwriter/performer would "cover" an entire album's worth of his material. This, at around the same time the band/group was heading to #1 for the first time.
Clue #2:
The song was written and originally recorded by a man. The hit version was recorded by a group.
Clue #1:
Both the original intro starts with just an electric keyboard of some kind, the hit version, an acoustic piano. Original version = electric keyboard, "hit version" by a group = acoustic piano intro
to recap:
the original artist,a man, plays the same minor chord twenty times before changing chords and sings the title on the 17th occurrence of that chord, and at a rate of slightly faster than one every half a second do those repeated chords get played.
The singer literally sings the title on the 17th beat of the original:
"an elegant fit" --it being the FIRST song..yes, that was indeed a clue embedded into the guided imagery.
--and made popular by Three Dog Night:
--whose next Top 5 hit, Craig, would coincidentally be written by the same folks that wrote the next Cowsills Top 5 hit ("Easy To Be Hard" for Three Dog Night, "Hair" for The Cowsills)
Oh...and the "mutual songwriting friend" alluded to in Clue #3 was Randy Newman, who would write Three Dog Night's first number one hit "Mama Told Me Not To Come" around the same time Nilsson, our mystery song's original artist/performer, would release an entire album of Newman covers, aptly titled "Nilsson Sings Newman"--an absolute masterpiece of an album, btw.
Ha! I was going to say before Steve solved it that either Eddie or Steve will get this one (the loneliest number). I always liked Three Dog Night. Well, Harry Nilsson too…#85 is next!
Clue: this song was sung by John Wayne in a late ‘50s movie and was cut as a single in 1959 by one of the better known teen heartthrobs. It’s a folk song…
Steve, you led me to water, I drank. I did get "Rio Bravo" on my own, but only after you mentioned Ricky Nelson, simply by Googling both their names at the same time (Wayne and Nelson).
Ohio Express had one hit "Yummy Yummy Yummy." A much despised song among most critics. It is featured in Dave Barry's book about bad songs.
Joey Levine, the original singer and co-author, was only the demo singer, but they released the demo as the single. Joey Levine would later strike it rich in advertising jingles starting with PeterPaul's "Sometimes you feel like a nut" Mounds/Almond Joy jingle/ad campaign.
Clue 1: this is the song intro with piano, followed by horns playing a variation of the intro. Then followed by singing at a slightly slower pace. Came out in the ‘60s.
Clue 2: the Mystery Tune was written by a writer who also had hit songs recorded by Three Dog Night, Barbara Streisand, Blood, Sweat, & Tears, and many others. The Mystery Tune was recorded by a five member group and reached #13 on Billboard Top 100 in the late ‘60s. Can you name the group, the song, and the songwriter?
Don’t know why the video wouldn’t post, but here are Ms. Nyro’s rousing lyrics:
let's go down by the grapevine drink my dady's wine get happy down by the grapevine drink my daddy's wine get happy happy oh sweet blindness a little magic a little kindness oh sweet blindness all over me four leaves on a clover I'm just a bit of a shade hung over come on baby do a slow float you're a good lookin' riverboat and aint that sweet-eyed blindness good to me down by the grapevine drink my dady's wine good mornin down by the grapevine drink my daddy's wine good mornin Mornin! oh sweet blindness a little magic a little kindness oh sweet blindness all over me please don't tell my mother I'm a saloon and a moonshine lover come on baby do a slow float you're a good lookin riverboat and ain't that sweet eyed blindness good to me (don't ask me cause I) ain't gonna tell you what I've been drinkin' ain't gonna tell you what I've been drinkin' ain't gonna tell you what I've been drinkin' wine of wonder Wonder! (by the way) sweet blindness a little magic a little kindness oh sweet blindness all over me don't let daddy hear it he don't believe in the gin mill spirit come on baby do a slow float you a good lookin' riverboat and ain't that sweet eyed blindness good to me good to me now ain't that sweet eyed blindness good to me
This game was created by orchestra conductor Harry Salter and his wife Roberta Semple Salter for NBC radio. Originally named Stop The Music, the game has been on TV off and on for several decades. It’s played on cruise ships and wherever the world over…so, here’s JPF Mystery Tune #90. The foregoing paragraph is not a clue.
Was a minor hit when first released in The Eighties...top 40 (Billboard Hot 100 USA) But was re-released over 35 years later and went top 5 (Billboard Hot 100 USA)
Was a minor hit when first released in The Eighties...top 40 (Billboard Hot 100 USA) But was re-released over 35 years later and went top 5 (Billboard Hot 100 USA
BIG CLUE #2
The song's re-release was due to its extensive use in a season of a certain TV series.
Clue #3:
The recording artist lost a battle over the title of this song; the record company wanted a different title, and a compromise was reached: the title the artist wanted would appear in parenthesis, after the title the record company wanted.
Was a minor hit when first released in The Eighties...top 40 (Billboard Hot 100 USA) But was re-released over 35 years later and went top 5 (Billboard Hot 100 USA
BIG CLUE #2
The song's re-release was due to its extensive use in a season of a certain TV series.
Clue #3:
The recording artist lost a battle over the title of this song; the record company wanted a different title, and a compromise was reached: the title the artist wanted would appear in parenthesis, after the title the record company wanted.
Big Big Big Clue #4:
The aforementioned TV series that used this song extensively did so in its LAST season (of the series) and was/is stream-able on NETFLIX.
Personally, one of my favorite songs of all time, along with "Hounds of Love" from the same album.
Yes, Kate Bush wrote a song she called "A Deal With God" for her 1985 album "Hounds of Love" but EMI said "we don't like that title" and finally the compromise was that the song would be known as "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)". It made it to #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles charts:
Then in 2022, Netflix released the final season of Stranger Thing, and the song became an "aural talisman" for Sadie Sink's character Max Mayfield and was used several times in that last season, most notably in an epic scene late in the last episode. SPOILER ALERT:
In 2022, the song would reach #3 on Billboards Hot 100...
Sorry Steve, Craig, and whoever else I may have sent on a wild goose chase when this song was already done. It's especially heinous because Craig posted an updated list, upon my request...and then I overlooked this song!!!
I am retreating into a corner of my shame for the rest of the morning...
Hello Mike, this is ------ ---- of ------ ---- and --- -------- --. I speak on behalf of the band when I say, you stole our riff in your song "One Life Stand." When James played it, that was well over fifty years ago and we were just known as -------- -- back then, and it was a guitar lick, and even though you transplanted the riff to organ, it's still theft as far as we're concerned. Oh, and by the way, I am dead...wait...hold on...oh...St. Peter just told me you can't copyright a riff...and you only really stole the rhythm of the riff...huh...all right then...live and learn...haha...carry on!!!
No waste of time…more can be said about “Spooky.” It was originally an instrumental (sax of course) by Mike Sharpe (Shapiro), 1966.
A couple of guys associated with the Classics IV put lyrics to it around the Spooky title, 1967. But here’s the original by Sharpe.
On good authority, Shapiro is also the sax soloist on the Classics IV Spooky. Anyway, Shapiro sort of dropped out of sight in Atlanta. May still be alive at 86 or so.
"Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" by B.J. Thomas
I sang this song in 6th grade, along with "The Cruel War" for a silly production of Bye Bye Birdie, when we had a "secular" teacher in a Catholic School. The nuns were shocked, LOL...
I had to stop looking at various charts on the internet and simply THINK...
Who do I love that Steve probably loves too?
What has Steve been thinking about lately...(what goes into making) good songwriters...
Who are some of the best?
Hmmmm...Bacharach and David BBHD fit the puzzle
BJ Thomas and Dionne Warwick were basically their main folks...
Warwick is out--no " W "
Leaving BJT...eliminate that, and I'm left with...
"Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" by B.J. Thomas
I sang this song in 6th grade, along with "The Cruel War" for a silly production of Bye Bye Birdie, when we had a "secular" teacher in a Catholic School. The nuns were shocked, LOL...
I had to stop looking at various charts on the internet and simply THINK...
Who do I love that Steve probably loves too?
What has Steve been thinking about lately...(what goes into making) good songwriters...
Who are some of the best?
Hmmmm...Bacharach and David BBHD fit the puzzle
BJ Thomas and Dionne Warwick were basically their main folks...
Warwick is out--no " W "
Leaving BJT...eliminate that, and I'm left with...
ROMKHF...
Which is a "no brainer"
Ah, Mike not very good ...you only figured out about 90% of what I was thinking..you gotta do better next time...I'm waiting for you to put an answer up before I post a scramble....If you do...can I be your agent?? LOLOL
"Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" by B.J. Thomas
I sang this song in 6th grade, along with "The Cruel War" for a silly production of Bye Bye Birdie, when we had a "secular" teacher in a Catholic School. The nuns were shocked, LOL...
I had to stop looking at various charts on the internet and simply THINK...
Who do I love that Steve probably loves too?
What has Steve been thinking about lately...(what goes into making) good songwriters...
Who are some of the best?
Hmmmm...Bacharach and David BBHD fit the puzzle
BJ Thomas and Dionne Warwick were basically their main folks...
Warwick is out--no " W "
Leaving BJT...eliminate that, and I'm left with...
ROMKHF...
Which is a "no brainer"
Ah, Mike not very good ...you only figured out about 90% of what I was thinking..you gotta do better next time...I'm waiting for you to put an answer up before I post a scramble....If you do...can I be your agent?? LOLOL
Now, an attempt to redeem myself from my "Spooky" debacle, LOL...
A different kinda game...
A variation of the Kevin Bacon "6 Degrees of Separation" game
Connect disparate recording artists via songwriters who wrote USA Top Twenty hits for two of the connecting recording artists in the clue.
A simple example would be:
Kingston Trio to Barbara Streisand with just ONE connecting recording artist (and 2 songwriters):
Kingston Trio
(Greenback Dollar) Hoyt Axton (Joy to the World) Three Dog Night (Just An Old Fashioned Love Song) Paul Williams (Evergreen)
Barbara Streisand
--Three Dog Night is the single connecting artist!
The workflow MUST GO like this:
Recording Artist A (X's song associated with A) > songwriter X ( X's song associated with B) > Recording Artist B (Y's song associated with B) > songwriter Y (Y's song associated with C) > Recording Artist C
Uh oh. Where have I been? Good one on “Raindrops…”!
Mike, on the 6 degrees game, many of these songs have multiple co-writers, esp. Kanye West’s. Are we to just look for songs with single songwriters like the example? Anyway, guess I’ll need clues.
The songwriter can be part of a group of songwriters that wrote a particular song, but then choose the one songwriter that is the connective thread.
Example:
Irma Thomas connects to Three Dog Night via Randy Newman who wrote "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is" with a host of other writers back in '64. Irma Thomas made it the (minor) hit. Randy Newman also wrote "Mama Told Me Not To Come" for Three Dog Night.
CLUE NO 1:
One of the songs has been used in a prior game!
And remember --one song will appear TWICE to get the correct answer (and this means that song will have two, count 'em TWO songwriters that are connective tissue).
The song that gets used twice in a row (cuz two of the songwriters that were part of writing it will connect our puzzle) is the song mentioned in CLUE 1.
IOW, it's a song that was the answer to a prior puzzle! One of these puppies:
1. Secret Love, Doris Day 2. My One and Only Love, Frank Sinatra 3. Time After Time, artists varied 4. Tammy, Debbie Reynolds 5. Runaway, Del Shannon 6. One Day at a Time, Christy Lane 7. Little Red Riding Hood, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs 8. Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do), Christopher Cross 9. Gloria, Them 10. Skipped 11. Someday Soon, Judy Collins 12. In My Life, The Beatles 13. Minuet in G, Beethoven 14. Fever, Peggy Lee 15. Skipped 16. A Soft Place to Fall, Allison Moorer From the Horse Whisperer 17. Love and Marriage, Sinatra 18. Desperado, Linda Ronstadt 19. Time After Time, Sinatra (a duplicate of #3?) 20. La vie en rose, artists varied, (Two 20s) Pennsylvania Polka, artists varied 21. Skipped 22. Norwegian Wood, The Beatles 23. Chim Chim Cher-ee, Dick Van Dyke 24. Two Song Challenge. 1) Which Way You Going Billy, 2) Billy Don’t Be a Hero, 1) Poppy Family, 2) Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods (U.S.); Poppy Family (U.K.) 25. I’ll Be Home for Christmas, Bing Crosby 26. Games People Play, Joe South 27. Sweet Pea, Tommy Roe 28. Sheila, Tommy Roe 29. Beyond the Sea, Bobby Darrin 30. Town Without Pity, Gene Pitney 31. God Only Knows, The Beach Boys 32. Can’t Get Used to Losing You, Andy Williams 33. Tangerine, from The Fleet’s In 34. What Kind of Fool Am I, Sammy Davis, Jr. 35. I Can’t Make You Love Me, Bonnie Raitt 36. Washington Square, Village Stompers 37. The Toy Parade, Leave it to Beaver Theme Song 38. It Never Rains in Southern California, Seattle, Tijuana Taxi, New York New York, England Swings, Wichita Lineman, Calcutta (an ‘audio cacophony’ for points) 39. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Roberta Flack 40. How Much I Feel, Ambrosia 41. Hey Joe, Jimmy Hendrix 42. Lola, The Kinks; Lies, the Knickerbockers (two song challenge); A Bushel and a Peck, Dorris Day (two 42s) 43. 5 O’Clock World, The Vogues 44. What a Wonderful World, Louie Armstrong 45. Mama Tried, Merle Haggard 46. Atlantis, Donovan 47. Fly Me to the Moon, Frank Sinatra 48. Portrait of My Love, Steve Lawrence 49. Lover Man, Billie Holiday 50. Lay It Down, Ratt 51. Hooray for Captain Spaulding, You Bet Your Life (Groucho Marx) 52. Jambalaya, Hank Williams 53. Puppy Love, Paul Anka, Donny O. 54. Come Sail Away, Styx 55. My Life, Billy Joel 56. Dion (challenge was to name a mystery singer from photo) 57. King of the Road, Roger Miller 58. Sundown, Gordon Lightfoot 59. Dream a Little Dream of Me, Mamas & The Papas, Doris Day 60. The Way That You Wander, from Jeremiah Johnson 61. The Party’s Over, Judy Holiday 62. He, Al Hibbler 63. Jetson’s Theme, Hoyt Curtin 64. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Fred Rogers 65. Love Theme from St. Elmo’s Fire, John Parr & David Foster 66. Call Me, Petula Clark, Chris Montez 67. Highway to Hell, AC/DC 68. The Nearness of You, Frank Sinatra & 61 other covers 69. Just My Style, Gary Lewis & The Playboys 70. Ramble On, Led Zeppelin 71. Incense & Peppermint, Strawberry Alarm Clock 72. Monster Mash, Bobby “Boris” Pickett 73. Time To Say Goodbye, Andrea Bocelli 74. Turn Down Day, The Cyrkle 75. You Always Hurt The One You Love, The Mills Brothers 76. Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree, Andrews Sisters 77. Closer To The Heart, Rush 78. Come On Down To My Boat, Every Mother’s Son 79. Cry, Baby, Cry, The Beatles 80. Spooky, Classics IV 81. A World Without Love, Peter and Gordon 82. Putting’ on the Ritz, Fred Astaire (Irving Berlin) 83. Volcano - Jimmy Buffet 84. One - Three Dog Night - Nilsson (original artist) 85. Cindy, Ricky Nelson 86. Yummy Yummy Yummy, Ohio Express 87. Abraham, Martin, and John, Dion (DiMucci), written by Dick Holler 88. If You Don't Know Me By Now, Simply Red, Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff (writers) 89. Sweet Blindness, The 5th Dimension, Laura Nyro (writer) 90. Batman Theme (1966), Neal Hefti 91. Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God), Kate Bush 92. Popsicle, Jan & Dean 93. Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head, B.J. Thomas
The 2 songwriters (B & C) associated with Recording Artist Y worked on THE SAME SONG for Recording Artist Y: they are co-writers on the same song, and the song/artist is on our list of songs (see above post).
The 2 songwriters (B & C) associated with Recording Artist Y worked on THE SAME SONG for Recording Artist Y: they are co-writers on the same song, and the song/artist is on our list of songs (see above post).
Either Songwriter B or C is a woman, and both B & C were co-writers on Recording Artist Y's song, and that song is on our list of 93 songs:
1. Secret Love, Doris Day 2. My One and Only Love, Frank Sinatra 3. Time After Time, artists varied 4. Tammy, Debbie Reynolds 5. Runaway, Del Shannon 6. One Day at a Time, Christy Lane 7. Little Red Riding Hood, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs 8. Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do), Christopher Cross 9. Gloria, Them 10. Skipped 11. Someday Soon, Judy Collins 12. In My Life, The Beatles 13. Minuet in G, Beethoven 14. Fever, Peggy Lee 15. Skipped 16. A Soft Place to Fall, Allison Moorer From the Horse Whisperer 17. Love and Marriage, Sinatra 18. Desperado, Linda Ronstadt 19. Time After Time, Sinatra (a duplicate of #3?) 20. La vie en rose, artists varied, (Two 20s) Pennsylvania Polka, artists varied 21. Skipped 22. Norwegian Wood, The Beatles 23. Chim Chim Cher-ee, Dick Van Dyke 24. Two Song Challenge. 1) Which Way You Going Billy, 2) Billy Don’t Be a Hero, 1) Poppy Family, 2) Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods (U.S.); Poppy Family (U.K.) 25. I’ll Be Home for Christmas, Bing Crosby 26. Games People Play, Joe South 27. Sweet Pea, Tommy Roe 28. Sheila, Tommy Roe 29. Beyond the Sea, Bobby Darrin 30. Town Without Pity, Gene Pitney 31. God Only Knows, The Beach Boys 32. Can’t Get Used to Losing You, Andy Williams 33. Tangerine, from The Fleet’s In 34. What Kind of Fool Am I, Sammy Davis, Jr. 35. I Can’t Make You Love Me, Bonnie Raitt 36. Washington Square, Village Stompers 37. The Toy Parade, Leave it to Beaver Theme Song 38. It Never Rains in Southern California, Seattle, Tijuana Taxi, New York New York, England Swings, Wichita Lineman, Calcutta (an ‘audio cacophony’ for points) 39. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Roberta Flack 40. How Much I Feel, Ambrosia 41. Hey Joe, Jimmy Hendrix 42. Lola, The Kinks; Lies, the Knickerbockers (two song challenge); A Bushel and a Peck, Dorris Day (two 42s) 43. 5 O’Clock World, The Vogues 44. What a Wonderful World, Louie Armstrong 45. Mama Tried, Merle Haggard 46. Atlantis, Donovan 47. Fly Me to the Moon, Frank Sinatra 48. Portrait of My Love, Steve Lawrence 49. Lover Man, Billie Holiday 50. Lay It Down, Ratt 51. Hooray for Captain Spaulding, You Bet Your Life (Groucho Marx) 52. Jambalaya, Hank Williams 53. Puppy Love, Paul Anka, Donny O. 54. Come Sail Away, Styx 55. My Life, Billy Joel 56. Dion (challenge was to name a mystery singer from photo) 57. King of the Road, Roger Miller 58. Sundown, Gordon Lightfoot 59. Dream a Little Dream of Me, Mamas & The Papas, Doris Day 60. The Way That You Wander, from Jeremiah Johnson 61. The Party’s Over, Judy Holiday 62. He, Al Hibbler 63. Jetson’s Theme, Hoyt Curtin 64. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Fred Rogers 65. Love Theme from St. Elmo’s Fire, John Parr & David Foster 66. Call Me, Petula Clark, Chris Montez 67. Highway to Hell, AC/DC 68. The Nearness of You, Frank Sinatra & 61 other covers 69. Just My Style, Gary Lewis & The Playboys 70. Ramble On, Led Zeppelin 71. Incense & Peppermint, Strawberry Alarm Clock 72. Monster Mash, Bobby “Boris” Pickett 73. Time To Say Goodbye, Andrea Bocelli 74. Turn Down Day, The Cyrkle 75. You Always Hurt The One You Love, The Mills Brothers 76. Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree, Andrews Sisters 77. Closer To The Heart, Rush 78. Come On Down To My Boat, Every Mother’s Son 79. Cry, Baby, Cry, The Beatles 80. Spooky, Classics IV 81. A World Without Love, Peter and Gordon 82. Putting’ on the Ritz, Fred Astaire (Irving Berlin) 83. Volcano - Jimmy Buffet 84. One - Three Dog Night - Nilsson (original artist) 85. Cindy, Ricky Nelson 86. Yummy Yummy Yummy, Ohio Express 87. Abraham, Martin, and John, Dion (DiMucci), written by Dick Holler 88. If You Don't Know Me By Now, Simply Red, Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff (writers) 89. Sweet Blindness, The 5th Dimension, Laura Nyro (writer) 90. Batman Theme (1966), Neal Hefti 91. Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God), Kate Bush 92. Popsicle, Jan & Dean 93. Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head, B.J. Thomas
One of the remaining two songwriters (B or C) wrote on TWO of the songs on our list of 93.
CLUE #4:
One of the remaining two songwriters is a woman (B, or C)
CLUE 3:
Songwriter A who wrote on hits for both Gary Lewis and Recording Artist X was part of George Harrison's Concert for Bangla Desh. LEON RUSSELL (Steve's correct answer)
CLUE #2: Songwriters B & C were co-writers on Recording Artist Y's song, and that song is on our list of 93 songs, and is the same song referred to in CLUE #1.
CLUE NO 1:
One of the songs has been used in a prior game!
************************************************************************************** Here's the progress to this point:
Gary Lewis & the Playboys (She's Just My Style)>
Leon Russell (songwriter A)
Recording Artist X
Songwriter B
Recording artist Y (This Artist is On List of 93 songs)
Recording Artist X's (Top 20 hit) version of the song (at least) co-written by Leon Russell finds the (recording artist X) singer singing the word "baby" seven times in each chorus.
CLUE #5:
One of the remaining two songwriters (B or C) wrote on TWO of the songs on our list of 93.
CLUE #4:
One of the remaining two songwriters is a woman (B, or C)
CLUE 3:
Songwriter A who wrote on hits for both Gary Lewis and Recording Artist X was part of George Harrison's Concert for Bangla Desh. LEON RUSSELL (Steve's correct answer)
CLUE #2: Songwriters B & C were co-writers on Recording Artist Y's song, and that song is on our list of 93 songs.
CLUE NO 1:
One of the songs has been used in a prior game! She's Just My Style - Gary Lewis & The Playboys ************************************************************************************** Here's the progress to this point:
Gary Lewis & the Playboys (She's Just My Style)>
Leon Russell (songwriter A)
Recording Artist X
Songwriter B
Recording artist Y (This Artist is On List of 93 songs)
Of the two Recording Artists X and Y: Only one is an individual person with a first and last name.
CLUE #6:
Recording Artist X's (Top 20 hit) version of the song (at least) co-written by Leon Russell finds the (recording artist X) singer singing the word "baby" seven times in each chorus.
CLUE #5:
One of the remaining two songwriters (B or C) wrote on TWO of the songs on our list of 93.
CLUE #4:
One of the remaining two songwriters is a woman (B or C)
CLUE 3:
Songwriter A who wrote on hits for both Gary Lewis and Recording Artist X was part of George Harrison's Concert for Bangla Desh. LEON RUSSELL (Steve's correct answer)
CLUE #2: Songwriters B & C were co-writers on Recording Artist Y's song, and that song is on our list of 93 songs.
CLUE NO 1:
One of the songs has been used in a prior game! She's Just My Style - Gary Lewis & The Playboys ************************************************************************************** Here's the progress to this point:
Gary Lewis & the Playboys (She's Just My Style)>
Leon Russell (songwriter A)
Recording Artist X
Songwriter B
Recording artist Y (This Artist is On List of 93 songs)
Laura Nyro has a connection to Kanye with Glory/Save the Country and she may have co-written another song on the list other than Sweet Blindness....that would make her C?????
X is INDEED the Carpenters... Laura Nyro doesn't figure in, sorry... but here's what we have now:
Remember, Songwriter B wrote on a Carpenters Top 20 hit as well as on a Top 20 hit for Recording artist Y. Refer to all the clues, below for help. Clue #2 just became huge: you know the last two songwriters (B & C) co-wrote on Recording Artist Y's song, and clue #4 tells you one of those two songwriters is a woman, and that this song and recording artist is listed in the 93.. ************************************************************
Gary Lewis & the Playboys
<"She's Just My Style" (Leon Russell, songwriter A) "Superstar">
<The Carpenters (Recording Artist X)>
<Songwriter B>
<Recording artist Y (This Artist is On List of 93 songs)>
Of the two Recording Artists X and Y: Only one is an individual person with a first and last name. Recording artist X is "The Carpenters" --therefore Recording Artist Y is an individual person with a first name and a last name.
CLUE #6:
Recording Artist X's (Top 20 hit) version of the song (at least) co-written by Leon Russell finds the (recording artist X) singer singing the word "baby" seven times in each chorus. Steve correctly guessed "The Carpenters" is Recording Artist X and that "Superstar" is the song that associates Leon Russell with The Carpenters.
CLUE #5:
One of the remaining two songwriters (B or C) wrote on TWO of the songs on our list of 93.
CLUE #4:
One of the remaining two songwriters is a woman (B or C)
CLUE 3:
Songwriter A who wrote on hits for both Gary Lewis and Recording Artist X was part of George Harrison's Concert for Bangla Desh. LEON RUSSELL (Steve's correct answer)
CLUE #2: Songwriters B & C were co-writers on Recording Artist Y's song, and that song is on our list of 93 songs.
CLUE NO 1:
One of the songs has been used in a prior game! She's Just My Style - Gary Lewis & The Playboys **************************************************************************************
I have no idea what these answers are right now (still looking) but the Carpenters and Laura Nyro have popped up with me too while trying to piece this together. Hmm.
I have no idea what these answers are right now (still looking) but the Carpenters and Laura Nyro have popped up with me too while trying to piece this together. Hmm.
The Carpenters was correct and makes figuring out Songwriter B a little easier, in that B wrote on (at least) one of The Carpenters' hits AND Recording Artist Y's as well. See above for all clues and recap...
After having listened to the song associated with B, C, and Artist Y, you may have been curious and looked up the data and realized that the distance varies from roughly 221,000 to 252,000 miles. (I'm being a little vague here so as NOT to use key words in the actual song).
CLUE #7:
Of the two Recording Artists X and Y: Only one is an individual person with a first and last name. Recording artist X is "The Carpenters" --therefore Recording Artist Y is an individual person with a first name and a last name.
CLUE #6:
Recording Artist X's (Top 20 hit) version of the song (at least) co-written by Leon Russell finds the (recording artist X) singer singing the word "baby" seven times in each chorus. Steve correctly guessed "The Carpenters" is Recording Artist X and that "Superstar" is the song that associates Leon Russell with The Carpenters.
CLUE #5:
One of the remaining two songwriters (B or C) wrote on TWO of the songs on our list of 93.
CLUE #4:
One of the remaining two songwriters is a woman (B or C)
CLUE #3:
Songwriter A who wrote on hits for both Gary Lewis and Recording Artist X was part of George Harrison's Concert for Bangla Desh. LEON RUSSELL (Steve's correct answer)
CLUE #2: Songwriters B & C were co-writers on Recording Artist Y's song, and that song is on our list of 93 songs.
CLUE NO 1:
One of the songs has been used in a prior game! She's Just My Style - Gary Lewis & The Playboys
The word "moon" appears twice in each chorus of the songs' lyric.
CLUE #8:
After having listened to the song associated with B, C, and Artist Y, you may have been curious and looked up the data and realized that the distance varies from roughly 221,000 to 252,000 miles. (I'm being a little vague here so as NOT to use key words in the actual song).
Steve, B needs to have written on a Carpenters hit.
This was the only guess you have gotten wrong.
You are still the winner on points, having guessed everything correct, including "Arthur's Theme" which was such a crucial element in solving the puzzle.
Congrats on sticking with it!
I will show all the correct answers and all the songs below.
Guessing the actual songs was not something that was needed to be done (they simply needed to be "arrived at" to have gotten the songwriters and artists correct), but I will show all the correct answers and all the songs below:
---that would have been much easier and a more elegant puzzle, actually spanning from 1962-2018 with just one connecting artist! Indeed, "Arthur's Theme" is kind of a "magic song" in that the songwriting has a hit writing span of 56 years! That's pretty amazing if you think about it.
Note to self: Future versions of "6 Degrees of Carole Bayer Sager" will just have ONE middle/hidden recording artist with TWO hidden songwriters, one above, one below the recording artist in question. This should make for more intuitive game play and be more fun.
Thanks Craig, Steve, and whomever else was silently, patiently participating in this "trial" version (0.1).
Didn't CBS write "somebody's been lying".... a song the Carpenters sang?? That's why I chose her for B.......I knew the Kanye connection to her...and I think BB had a connection to KW
She absolutely did, only the song did not meet the condition of being a Top 20 (USA Billboard Chart) hit--if it was even released as a single, at all, whereas "Close To You" was a Top 20 hit. "Top 20" was important, in that it squeezed in CBS/Kanye West's "Ghost Town" which peaked at #16.
What is funny, I knew the other songs and the connections..I think the reason why it took so long, like me, you can know a song but not necessarily who wrote it...the permutations and combinations can be daunting...LOLOL
I need to address the Burt Bacharach connection to Kanye West in a separate post here.
Bacharach was SAMPLED on a popular Luther Vandross song off his first album "Never Give Up" --the song being "A House Is Not A Home" which was a Bacharach song.
It never occurred to me that songwriters get songwriting credit if a sample from a song they wrote on is used! Duh.........................................
Apparently Carole Bayer Sager actually wrote on the KY song "Ghost Town"...
But technically, Steve, your answer is correct, as "Slow Jamz" by Kanye West and Jamie Foxx was easily a Top 20 hit.
So then "Arthur's Theme" could be skipped and one could go from Bacharach directly to KY, making the puzzle much simpler.
So actually, you could have WON the game at the moment you made the connection between the two, and had the "proof" --WON because there were less connectors involved--but alas, "challenging the puzzle's author with an answer involving fewer connectors" was NOT a condition I layed forth, so....
Let's just say you actually WON the game at that moment, and the rest was moot!
Note to self:
Sampling culture makes this game more interesting, due to how older songwriter's are lifted onto the shoulders of newer artists. I will need to be more careful, making sure there is NOT a more simple elegant solution, and create a condition wheras if a game player comes up with a more simple elegant answer to the puzzle, they can CHALLENGE the puzzle and win immediately upon a successful challenge!
Mike...just make sure you don't go 7 deep....I'm 76 and I don't t think I'll have enough time....LOLOLOL
Steve
Haha...no, all this will help create a MUCH better gaming experience next time.
If I keep the game to just ONE connecting artist (and two songwriters) there can never be a simpler answer, and it will be more intuitively played, and therefore fun, I would hope.
If I do TWO, again, I will make "challenging" the puzzle a condition!
Mike...just make sure you don't go 7 deep....I'm 76 and I don't t think I'll have enough time....LOLOLOL
Steve
Haha...no, all this will help create a MUCH better gaming experience next time.
If I keep the game to just ONE connecting artist (and two songwriters) there can never be a simpler answer, and it will be more intuitively played, and therefore fun, I would hope.
If I do TWO, again, I will make "challenging" the puzzle a condition!
I liked this one a lot...it took a little bit of time to get my head around the flow, but after that I was OK
Been lurking and totally appreciating your creativity here Michael...
I cannot pretend to know enough to play ....
Fun to see when the answer comes.
And Karen & Richard made amazing music that is instantly recognizable by someone my age.
They dominated their time with pop like Abba or Fleetwood Mac or....what a voice!
Thanks for putting them into the chain
Thanks for posting, John!
As to "knowing enough to play" --do you mean the "6 Degrees" concept alludes you, or your music history is lacking?
Neither should keep you away next time. If it's the latter, think of this as a way of getting really sharp with using wikipedia and other online tools, AND you get to learn some little bit of music history in the process.
If it's the former (which I don't think it is) I would be happy to explain the "6 degress" concept which is what drives the game play, clues, etc...
Neither should keep you away next time. If it's the latter, think of this as a way of getting really sharp with using wikipedia and other online tools, AND you get to learn some little bit of music history in the process
Boy is that true....I barely knew Laura Nyro but when I found out she wrote a song recorded by Blood Sweat And Tears (one of my all time favourite bands) I was really impressed and then to see the other stuff she wrote....impressive...that's what I love about this game
And Karen & Richard made amazing music that is instantly recognizable by someone my age.
They dominated their time with pop like Abba or Fleetwood Mac or....what a voice!
I was stuck on Leon Russell and the Carpenters, so listened to A Song For You. Not close to the clues though but she did have a great voice. I read she recorded it in one take.
Mike, I didn’t know what that mileage clue and the moon was, but Peter Allen came up with the line when he was stuck on a plane at JFK. One story was that he was waiting to take off and the moon was between JFK and NYC. Another story says he was in a holding pattern. The clue didn’t throw me though because I was stuck listening to a Carpenter’s song that wasn’t in the mix…great game!
And Karen & Richard made amazing music that is instantly recognizable by someone my age.
They dominated their time with pop like Abba or Fleetwood Mac or....what a voice!
I was stuck on Leon Russell and the Carpenters, so listened to A Song For You. Not close to the clues though but she did have a great voice. I read she recorded it in one take.
Mike, I didn’t know what that mileage clue and the moon was, but Peter Allen came up with the line when he was stuck on a plane at JFK. One story was that he was waiting to take off and the moon was between JFK and NYC. Another story says he was in a holding pattern. The clue didn’t throw me though because I was stuck listening to a Carpenter’s song that wasn’t in the mix…great game!
Craig, I'm glad you enjoyed the game, and next iteration will be streamlined and all kinks gone.
I didn't know that was Peter Allen's line! A much better one than the filler, "I know it's crazy/but it's true." And the thing is, no one can ever make an analogy/metaphor, like that, again, it can only be done once, and so Peter Allen got their first and OWNS that bit of songwriting real estate.
--I mean, between "Pluto and Poughkeepsie" won't cut it, especially after Peter Allen's. So okay, that line was never gonna cut it, but you get my drift.
True about that line! Peter Allen has a “name that tune” connection I just read about. He hosted a pilot for CBS in 1990 that was not scheduled for the regular season.
That's just too "full circle" for my brain to fathom...like...all roads lead to "Name That Tune", LOL...
I watched it and found Allen to be a fine host--he toned down the flamboyance enough to be mainstream, so am curious why this particular incarnation of NTT didn't get past the pilot stage--why no one picked it up. He would be dead from an AIDS related throat cancer less than two years after that pilot.
…so am curious why this particular incarnation of NTT didn't get past the pilot stage--why no one picked it up.
Same here. Looking at it, the 1990-91 season had three CBS game shows during daytime TV: The Price is Right, Wheel of Fortune, and Family Feud. No prime time game shows. Seems like TV execs. try and use new shows to get ratings and to knock off competing shows in a particular time slot. The show moved to New Zealand I think?
Another band, that never made the song a hit, played it to keep the crowd happy....very confusing??
Did people go to their show expecting a different band? Note to self: look up bands named after (or similarly) to other recording artists, such as a band named "Isaac Haze."
Clue # 2
The song made the band famous, but the band never made the song famous....well sort of....even more confusing???
That could be the case if the song came from a show? The song would be famous, already, coming from a famous show (thinking out loud)
The first two clues also point to the possibility of a song co-opted by sports, such as "You'll Never Walk Alone" but one that actually has the right letters.
Clue # 3
In one country the song peaked at #27 before it peaked at #1...huh???
Well a song can't peak at two different numbers in the same country!
So your ellipses must mean "before it peaked at #1 in a different country" --or Belguim, France, ChooseYourPoison...
I'm guessing USA is #27 which matches "bit of a hit".
Clue # 4 (last before bedtime)
You might want to enlist the help of John Voorpostel...he might know something about it
Note to self: check song lists where taxes, accounting/accountants, and lurkers/lurking are themes... (love you, John)
I just checked off one of my bucket list items ... confuse Mike Zaneski...lol
Did people go to their show expecting a different band? Note to self: look up bands named after (or similarly) to other recording artists, such as a band named "Isaac Hayes."
On the right track
Well a song can't peak at two different numbers in the same country! Yes it can HaHa
it peaked at #22 in the US
nothing to do with John's work/lurking....however...he may be a little prejudiced
Nothing to do with sports and "You'll Never Walk Alone" is not it....
So I am guessing you can't solve the riddle of how a song can peak, in the same country, at two different numbers, without revealing more than you want about the song?
Certainly, a song can re-enter the charts and climb higher, the second time around, but technically, isn't there still one "peak" --in this case the latter re-entry?
Originally Posted by VNORTH2
I just checked off one of my bucket list items ... confuse Mike Zaneski...lol
So I am guessing you can't solve the riddle of how a song can peak, in the same country, at two different numbers, without revealing more than you want about the song?
Certainly, a song can re-enter the charts and climb higher, the second time around, but technically, isn't there still one "peak" --in this case the latter re-entry?
Assuming it's the same band/singer you'd be correct
Stymied, overwhelmed, humbled, humiliated, and [naughty word removed], [naughty word removed], [naughty word removed], [naughty word removed], [naughty word removed], [naughty word removed], [naughty word removed], [naughty word removed], [naughty word removed], [naughty word removed], [naughty word removed],
I am deeply, deeply empuzzled
-and highly irritated by the CONSTANT red underlining of actual words like "empuzzled." JPF needs a better internal dictionary, LOL.
Best puzzle yet, Steve. I just feel bad that Craig is missing out.
"Shakin' All Over" by "The Guess Who", original band name "Chad Allan and the Expressions" --and Johnny Kidd songwriter
note--Guy Robinson is listed as a songwriter, too, but maybe you forgot and left (GR) him out, I'm thinking. Too big a coincidence for this to not be the answer.
Another band, that never made the song a hit, played it to keep the crowd happy....very confusing??
Fans thought The Who had recorded the song and kept asking for it
Clue # 2
The song made the band famous, but the band never made the song famous....well sort of....even more confusing???
The song was promoted by the Label as “Guess Who” is singing it to make people believe it was part of the English Invasion in the ‘60’s..the band then changed their name to “The Guess Who” The Guess Who never did sing the song as a recoring.
Clue # 3
In one country the song peaked at #27 before it peaked at #1...huh???
Australia...Chad Allen And The Expressions reached # 27 in early 1965 and Normie Rowe took it to #1 later with a cover of Johnny Chester’s version
Clue # 4 (last before bedtime)
You might want to enlist the help of John Voorpostel...he might know something about it...
John, being a Canadian should know a little bit about The Guess Who
Clue # 5
One of the coolest promotions ever was about this song....
The Label promoted the song all over N/A
Clue # 6
The song was the biggest single for the decade in which it was released in one of the countries....
Normie Rowe in Australia
Clue # 7
The lead singer of the band is considered one of the best voices ever in all of Rock, but he wasn't the lead on the song...
.Burton Cummings
Clue # 8
You'll know the song in about 1 -2 seconds...
great opening
Clue #9
Van Morrison even covered the song...
Clue # 10
An improvised song by this band became a monster #1 hit in the US...American Woman
Clue #11
One of the band members left to form another great rock band...Randy Bachman BTO
Clue #12
The member who left the band had his guitar stolen in 1976....he got it back 45 years later...this should give it away ....found by facial recognition on the internet (Youtube)
I actually bought the CAATE album to learn the song but left it in the back widow of my car and it warped badly...threw it out...might be worth a couple of bucks today
I had never heard of CAATE 'til your puzzle. In fact, if you had asked me yesterday who did "Shakin' All Over" --I would have said, "great song, but holy crap...who DID do that song?"
--my guess might've been "The Who" --and only because I bought "Live At Leeds" (crackling noises okay, LOL) album when I was 12 or something.
Who actually made the song more famous? The Who? The original artist, Johnny Kidd?
Chad Allen And The Expressions made it famous in N/A, Johnny Rowe in Australia., Johnny Kidd in UK..I think The Who played it out of necessity... I was looking for the band in N/A in my opening statement
Also here are a few other songs by The Guess Who
Stand Tall These Eyes No Sugar Tonight American Woman Clap For The Wolfman Share The Land No Time Undun
I had never heard of CAATE 'til your puzzle. In fact, if you had asked me yesterday who did "Shakin' All Over" --I would have said, "great song, but holy crap...who DID do that song?"
--my guess might've been "The Who" --and only because I bought "Live At Leeds" (crackling noises okay, LOL) album when I was 12 or something.
That's why I thought the song had a great backstory....who knows what would have happened without the promo...which I remember when it was going on
"Laughing" is great, too. Bachman and Cummings Jr. had a European sensibility to their melodies and compositions. Listen to "Undun," "Laughing" (at least the verses), and "These Eyes" --NO ONE wrote like that, outside of Europe. Those are the ones I consider their best, with "No Time" being a close fourth.
They most definitely deserve to be in The RRHOF.
Steve, best puzzle yet, but sorry Craig wasn't around. Maybe I'll PM him next time, if his PM's are hooked up to his email, he might want to be alerted...
Oh, and I had never seen this (the ad I think you were referring to):
Oh, and I had never seen this (the ad I think you were referring to):
Actually the promo was interesting...the song was being played by DJ's everywhere and they were told to ask the listeners to figure out who was singing it by saying..."guess who is singing it"...trying to hype it as a British band...when it was revealed as CAATE, the DJ"s kept on saying Guess Who...eventually the band gave in and changed their name....Chad Allen left and the rest is history
Don't forget Mike we're talking 1965....Canada had maybe 5 TV stations...lol radio was king
Listen to that verse melody! The augmented 5th...that's advanced stuff for rock. They were listening to Bacharach and Webb and European writers like Brel, to come up with that verse melody.
Love this song.
In a boxing ring with The Bee Gee's "I Started A Joke" I might be in a minority to like "Laughing" better. ISAJ is a bit too melodramatic for me.
Holy crap, I had not seen this. I am a big Webb fan. I've read "T u n e s m i t h" but not his memoir yet. Looking forward. Thanks for bringing this to my attention, I'll probably watch it, later tonight.
Are you a fan of Keith Jarrett? The pianist had a stroke a couple years back now, and Beato got an exclusive with him, earlier this year. Very heart rending to see Jarrett so compromised, but his brains are all intact.
It was indeed, thanks Steve for such a great game!
--try typing the word "t u n e s m i t h" without the extra spaces. JPF will not let this word exist! It changes it to "songwriter" --weird...that's why I had to double space the name of Webb's book.
The Guess Who. Love the group. I’ve only been lurking due to a Dr’s appointment out of town (Atlanta). Checked out a few clues here and there but couldn’t come up with anything. Great game Steve!
I'll post one since it looks like Craig's been traveling and is probably tired. Hope all is well, Craig!
This should be a quickie, anyway:
Mystery Song #96
MJDGTASHRC
Name the song, the songwriter(s), and the artist (any configuration: solo artist, band, etc.)
CLUE #1
This song was the only song by this artist to reach the Top 40 on Billboard's Hot 100--a minor crossover hit BUT a major hit on the (genre) chart from which it originated.
Speaking of crossing over, one of the songwriters is related to a country artist who did so 8 times in a career spanning over 40 years. At least according to Wikipedia, LOL.
I'm gonna leave it here 'til late tonight early tomorrow morning...recap:
Mystery Song #96
MJDGTASHRC
Clue #6
Our artist is NOT on your (Steve's) list!
Not: George Strait, George Jones, Johnny Cash, Tim McGraw. Hank Snow, Charlie Daniels, Jason Aldean, Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, Chris Stapleton, or Merle Haggard
Clue #5
Speaking of crossing over, one of the songwriters is related to a country artist who did so 8 times in a career spanning over 40 years. At least according to Wikipedia, LOL.
CLUE #4
The song was quite controversial.
CLUES #2 & 3
The artist was a man.
The song was a massive hit on the country charts, and made it up to #25 on Billboard's Hot 100.
CLUE #1
This song was the only song by this artist to reach the Top 40 on Billboard's Hot 100--a minor crossover hit BUT a major hit on the (genre) chart from which it originated.
The artist hosted a TV show and was working as a country music act in Nevada before his big break with this song on what would be his third trip to Nashville.
The song kind of luckily fell into the artist's lap, when a friend of his played him the song that had apparently been recently making the rounds on Music Row. The next day the artist had a meeting with a well known but retired record producer who didn't like any of the artist's own material, but really liked this song for him, and they recorded it the very next day.
Clues will come one every 45 minutes, until there's...say...20 clues...
Mystery Song #96
MJDGTASHRC
Clue #10
The title of the song gives absolutely no clue as to its heavier, "social commentary" aspects.
Clue #9
Johnny Cash was one of the artists who had passed on the song. He liked it but thought it too controversial.
That being the case, Cash still had dibs on the song if the artist-in-question's version failed to sell.
Clue #8
The song kind of luckily fell into the artist's lap, when a friend of his played him the song that had apparently been recently making the rounds on Music Row. The next day the artist had a meeting with a well known but retired record producer who didn't like any of the artist's own material, but really liked this song for him, and they recorded it the very next day.
Clue #7
The artist hosted a TV show and was working as a country music act in Nevada before his big break with this song on what would be his third trip to Nashville.
Clue #6
Our artist is NOT on your (Steve's) list!
Not: George Strait, George Jones, Johnny Cash, Tim McGraw. Hank Snow, Charlie Daniels, Jason Aldean, Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, Chris Stapleton, or Merle Haggard
Clue #5
Speaking of crossing over, one of the songwriters is related to a country artist who did so 8 times in a career spanning over 40 years. At least according to Wikipedia, LOL.
CLUE #4
The song was quite controversial.
CLUES #2 & 3
The artist was a man.
The song was a massive hit on the country charts, and made it up to #25 on Billboard's Hot 100.
CLUE #1
This song was the only song by this artist to reach the Top 40 on Billboard's Hot 100--a minor crossover hit BUT a major hit on the (genre) chart from which it originated.
Based on the analysis of 100 years worth of data from the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Baby Names database, the estimated population of people named ______ is less than 200.
The song put the artist in the national spotlight for a short while, seeing him get appearances on late night talk shows such as The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
Johnny Cash was also godfather to one of the artist's sons.
CLUE #14
The artist was born and died in a city the was the site of a horrible bombing tragedy.
Clue #13
The song put the artist in the national spotlight for a short while, seeing him get appearances on late night talk shows such as The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
Clue #12
Among others, the song has been covered by B.J. Thomas. Conway Twitty, Patti Page, and George Jones.
Clue#11
The artist has a very rare first name:
Based on the analysis of 100 years worth of data from the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Baby Names database, the estimated population of people named ______ is less than 200.
Clue #10
The title of the song gives absolutely no clue as to its heavier, "social commentary" aspects.
Clue #9
Johnny Cash was one of the artists who had passed on the song. He liked it but thought it too controversial.
That being the case, Cash still had dibs on the song if the artist-in-question's version failed to sell.
Clue #8
The song kind of luckily fell into the artist's lap, when a friend of his played him the song that had apparently been recently making the rounds on Music Row. The next day the artist had a meeting with a well known but retired record producer who didn't like any of the artist's own material, but really liked this song for him, and they recorded it the very next day.
Clue #7
The artist hosted a TV show and was working as a country music act in Nevada before his big break with this song on what would be his third trip to Nashville.
Clue #6
Our artist is NOT on your (Steve's) list!
Not: George Strait, George Jones, Johnny Cash, Tim McGraw. Hank Snow, Charlie Daniels, Jason Aldean, Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, Chris Stapleton, or Merle Haggard
Clue #5
Speaking of crossing over, one of the songwriters is related to a country artist who did so 8 times in a career spanning over 40 years. At least according to Wikipedia, LOL.
CLUE #4
The song was quite controversial.
CLUES #2 & 3
The artist was a man.
The song was a massive hit on the country charts, and made it up to #25 on Billboard's Hot 100.
CLUE #1
This song was the only song by this artist to reach the Top 40 on Billboard's Hot 100--a minor crossover hit BUT a major hit on the (genre) chart from which it originated.
A movie based on the life of this songs' producer could be a great one, spanning all the way back to some the pioneers of Country Music. Forced into retirement, he started his own independent production company and this song and artist was one of the highlights of his post-heyday days, scoring the artist a record deal after many passes due to the controversial nature of the song.
One of the songwriters was related to the country music pioneer whose signature song's title used a colloquial expression that referred to what one does when one continuously paces back and forth in a room.
henson cargill...skip a rope....Jack Moran and Glenn Douglas Tubb
Congrat, Steve! You got it!
A song that figures somewhere in the music surrounding the Civil Rights Movement. Certainly surprised a lot of Nashville bigwigs when it became a hit in The Winter of The Summer of Love, late '67.
Here is a wonderful Facebook article about Cargill and how the record came to be:
When Henson Cargill became an “overnight sensation” in 1968, it was the perfect melding of a castaway song and a castaway artist. Already established in Las Vegas, Cargill had made two previous trips to Nashville, attracting absolutely no interest. On his third trip, he managed to set up a meeting with one of Nashville’s most-revered record producers, Don Law, who had helmed hundreds of sessions for the majority of Columbia Records’ mostly all-star lineup…….artists such as Johnny Cash, Ray Price, Marty Robbins, Johnny Horton, Carl Smith, Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs, Stonewall Jackson, Carl & Pearl Butler, Lefty Frizzell and many more. After turning 65 years old in 1967, Law had been forced out at Columbia due to the company’s strict mandatory retirement policy. Don wasn’t ready to stop working just yet though, and started his own independent production company. His meeting with Henson Cargill went well, but Law wasn’t interested in any of Henson’s original material. However, he did see potential in the Oklahoma City native.
Don scheduled a session with Cargill even before a record deal had been signed. By sheer luck, the night before the session, Henson ran into another native Oklahoman Tom Hartman, who had once worked as a disc jockey in Oklahoma City, but was now pitching songs for Tree Publishing Company. Hartman played Cargill a song called “Skip A Rope,” which had already made the rounds in Nashville without catching a single taker. Cargill liked “Skip A Rope” and the next day he and Law recorded it, although even then it seemed destined to fall by the wayside. Johnny Cash had taken a look at “Skip A Rope” mainly because one of the song’s co-writers Glenn Douglas Tubb (nephew of legendary country star Ernest Tubb) had written a hit for him some ten years earlier called “Home Of The Blues.” Cash personally liked “Skip A Rope” but he, like everyone else, was skeptical about its possible success. However, Johnny did agree to cut “Skip A Rope” if Cargill’s record failed. Due to Cash’s interest and Don Law’s belief that Cargill’s record was going to do well, Law made an arrangement with Tree Publishing that gave him 90 days to secure a record deal for Henson before any other artist could record the song.
But once again, the Nashville establishment was hesitant to take a chance on “Skip A Rope,” which blamed such cultural problems as dishonesty and racism on parents. The one company willing to give it a shot was Fred Foster’s Monument Records, and it proved to be a very wise investment. Cargill signed with absolutely no advance, and within 90 days of the song’s release, “Skip A Rope” had sold more than 500,000 copies. It reached #1 on Billboard’s country singles chart on February 3, 1968 and stayed there for five consecutive weeks. The record also peaked at #25 on Billboard’s Hot 100 pop chart, a sensational showing for a Nashville-based production.
Cargill’s success as a hit-maker was short-lived, however. He achieved only two more Top 15 entries during the remainder of his career, and those occurred during the year or so after “Skip A Rope” peaked (due to the brief momentum he had built up because of that runaway hit), although he continued to land in the lower rungs of the chart through 1980. His last notable release was the #29 “Silence On The Line.” In his later years, Cargill returned to the Oklahoma City area, opening a nightclub called “Henson’s” which he operated in nearby Norman, Oklahoma. He died after complications from surgery on March 24, 2007 at the age of 66. Producer Don Law passed away from cancer in 1982 and was elected posthumously to the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2001. – JH
I now know the name of every male country singer ever born....
Ha!
It might come in handy some day, you never know!
--best tidbit for me was that the song's producer, Don Law Sr. was also the guy in the motel room, recording Robert Johnson in '36. Would make a great movie.
What I found fascinating about the song, I don't think I had heard it since '68, and only a few times then but once I saw the title I started humming the melody right away...funny how our minds work...lol
Definitely been looking in more than participating, in this thread and overall as was pointed out above in the "people around the pool"
Just a matter of priorities elsewehere.
Though easing out of my professional practice...I find myself busy using what I have learned to build something to see if they will come
Not been around The Muse either for that matter. Jodi Krangle started that way back around the same early days as JPF and Shayne Vaughan's The Write Stuff.
Still doing music but posting means reciprocating which requires time and focused attention, so my on line participation is easier just looking in.
And let me tell you there were times I wanted to jump in to a particular posting but I totally practiced zen buddhism and calming chants as I read some of the stuff posted.
Anyway, totally enjoy this quest game here ....thank you John (L Schick) and Mike and Vnorth for the brain teasers.
And there is I guess a research system that helps narrow down the clues to real events and relationships.
My Bene does puzzles and things like Soduku (we tussle over our Globe's Saturday Crossword) which are definitely process driven.
I still get thanks for her 6 tray puzzle sorting kit gift she suggested I get for her
Special shout out for VNorth and our Guess Who (loved Albert Flasher which was not on the list but deserves mention)
One of my favorite filmmakers drinks that water, too, Guy Maddin. If you aren't familiar with his work, it's highly original and oft times surreal. He gets compared to David Lynch, but that's just on the surface. I can heartily recommend "My Winnipeg" and "The Saddest Music in the World."
Winnipeg had a real vibrant local music scene is what I was told by two Winnipeg musicians, Gord McGregor and Jim Degiarlde who I befriended as a front desk clerk at a Banff Alberta hotel called the Cascade Inn in the mid 70s. The pair were among pretty impressive duos that moved through The Paddock, the live music venue upstairs and up off the lobby from the biggest beer hall in Alberta. That occupied the entire lower footprint of the hotel, with two main street entrances on either side of the lobby entrance. Back entrance led to an alley and the hotel staff annex.
They credited the city's large talented pool as a real "breeding ground"....makes sense...It is all about proximity to others you learns with..
That job taught me how to play well enough to keep figuring things out musically. I always checked in the bands on Sunday nights, and as my regular shift ended 11pm, I partied with them and they showed me things.
Guy from California, Steve Driggars, gave me the machine heads from his Washburn still on my Yamaki and showed me how to put them on. A real job that involve exact drilling. Also taught me good maintenance habits. Played with a really talented partner, Mike Haas and they had great chemistry in guitar work and voice.
Banff was a sleepy winter town back then,...much more a summer resort...and I had a blast. September to April or so...after first year university false start.
Oops. Brick wall. Will provide a clue or two later. Here’s one though. British group. This song reached number 44 on Billboard top 100 in early ‘60s, but number 2 in the UK.
An individual who was in the band (a) that made the traditional folk song "Tom Dooley" a hit wrote a song (song x) that another band (b) had a Top 10 hit with, and that band (b) had a member who wrote a song (song y) that became a Top 20 hit for yet another band (c) who had a member who went solo and recorded a song (song z). This (solo) artist had several top ten hits, but this particular song (z) just barely made the Billboard Top 40, and it was written by a songwriter who also had a Top 40 hit, HIMSELF, but just one, and a different song than song z.
Name songs x, y, and z.
2/3 correct guesses will be declared winner!
Three incorrect guesses, you're out!
If you come up with different answers that also work, you still win, AND with the added bonus of humiliating the puzzle maker who is pretty sure there is only one true path to song z.
--Start with the obvious stuff; they might all fall like dominoes!
--I DO know you all know AT LEAST two of these songs really well.
--First clues will be tomorrow around noon East Coast time.
Song x “Daydream Believer,” by John Stewart of the Kingston Trio. Song y “Different Drum,” by Michael Nesmith of the Monkees Song z “”Poor Poor Pitiful Me” by Warren Zevon, performed by Linda Ronstadt ?
Congratulations again Mike! Looking forward to your next game! Tho what probably will happen is Steve or Eddie will beat me to the answer(s).
Ha!
BINGO!
The dominoes have fallen...
Craig, without a clue, has solved the puzzle, and is our winner!
Who doesn't love the song "Daydream Believer" ...? Peter Tork's shining moment, coming up with the easy going piano intro. Canadian Anne Murray also had a hit with the song.
--and Different Drum?
--Different Drum, personally, is on my top ten favorite songs of all time. Linda Ronstandt's performance slays me every time it comes around to "so...goodbye.."
but I thought there might be some trouble getting to Warren Zevon's wonderful song:
The alliteration! The self-deprecation! Ha! Zevon's STILL not in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame, despite the public outcry...well...he didn't really have the hits, but don't go round Letterman talking like that!
For a great read, you could do a lot worse than his ex-wife, Crystal Zevon's biography, "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" btw. It will put you at the scene of the crime of West Hollywood/Hollywood Hills/Laurel Canyon in the Seventies.
Congrats, Craig!!!! Very nicely done. Very very very nicely done, for sure.
--the hardest thing about this puzzle was, I think, the Escher-like maze that can be created with long sentences with multiple clauses lol. I must've re-read that sucker fifty times, making sure I said everything correctly!
Proof that songs can start as memes and gather a weight, as time goes by, all on their own. It started as a kind of joke by Phil Everly, having seen a movie of the same name--he thought that title would make a great "dance craze."
So Zevon and (then) wife Crystal, along with friend LeRoy Marinell and frequent Zevon bandmate and friend Waddy Wachtel were partying and the three men improvised lyrics and Crystal transcribed. Zevon would play the song most tour nights, adding new improvised lines here and there, until the song lands in this form:
--the hardest thing about this puzzle was, I think, the Escher-like maze that can be created with long sentences with multiple clauses lol. I must've re-read that sucker fifty times, making sure I said everything correctly!
Hey, Mike, your clue wasn't the problem...it's CLUE...less Steve
Well that melody is a first-cousin to "Ghost Riders In The Sky" but it veers off...so maybe I need to look at more Duane Eddy and maybe Ventures stuff...thinking out loud, don't mind me, haha...
Clues: The writer of this song was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, but the group who had a hit song with it later (no. 2 Billboard) was known for its ‘surf-rock’ style.
From my first thoughts, everything led to The Ventures. I must've listened to "Walk Don't Run" a half a dozen times yesterday. Johnny Smith seals the deal, I think.
I kept passing on "Walk Don't Run" cuz my memory kept overriding what I was hearing in the actual recording! In my erroneous memory of the song, the second and third notes are 8th notes, when in fact the second note is a (syncopated) quarter note, like you play it. It's made tricky by the fact that when you play that 2nd note on your 12-string, I was not thinking syncopated, before the down beat, melody, but I was imagining that 2nd note fell on the down beat. Hence my passing on "Walk Don't Run" initially. Now, if you played that while tapping your foot to the beat, different story lol...playing a syncopated melody without the bearings of a beat with it can make for the perfect clue, like yours, Craig!
The Ventures were so good, they didn't even need amps...lol
That’s too funny! I just noticed that..the Ventures were on the Dick Clark show which aired from 1958-60. According to IMDB, all but a few acts were lip synced. Clark’s very first guest performed live: Jerry Lee Lewis. Also live were Fats Domino and Bill Doggett, who performed the instrumental “Honky Tonk,” but that was it.
Walk don't run was one of the 1st songs I learned on my guitar back in the day. I remember it sounding "thin" until I learned how to play some bar chords! Those bass notes were a big deal at that moment!
Walk don't run was one of the 1st songs I learned on my guitar back in the day. I remember it sounding "thin" until I learned how to play some bar chords! Those bass notes were a big deal at that moment!
Same here. Gloria was another one. And seems every kid in Jr. High knew how to play the drum solo on Wipeout on the gym floor.
John L.S. mentioned he’d be away until October. Number 100 is yours John! If you’re there. Otherwise, anyone can play!
Everything is already in the following order.... songwriter, act 1, song, act 2....sort of....example,,,here is my name....steven paul mcdonald already in order SPMTCADEOUNVALLEDN
Name the song...the 2 acts best known for recording it and the songwriter....one of the acts reached #9 and was a signature performance for the other act although it really didn’t chart for that act....the song was covered by many well known artists
Hi Steve, clarifying your choice of the word "act" is to cover ALL configurations of solo artists, bands, and everything in-between. Thanks. Looks like a good one!
Also, you use your middle name in your example. Does this mean the songwriter's middle name is the second letter in your jumble whether or not we know that songwriter by that (first, middle, and last name) configuration or not? IOW, if Joni Mitchell's middle name was "Nancy." --it's not, but just as an example...
Or is it that if that middle name is indeed the second letter of the jumble, it's because that's the way people know that songwriter's name, such as "Jerry Jeff Walker."
I guess I just want to disallow the possibility of that second letter being a middle name if it's not normally how we know that songwriter, as having that middle name as part of his/her "professional name."
Thanks again, if clarifying gives something away, I understand!
I was just showing you how it was unscrambled and yet scrambled ie...steven is in order and not say vtsene and the songwriter may or may not have a second name
I was just showing you how it was unscrambled and yet scrambled ie...steven is in order and not say vtsene and the songwriter may or may not have a second name
Thanks. "May or may not" makes sense. It also clarifies that there won't be a middle name IF the songwriter isn't "known" that way.
Mike just to clarify I said everything was already in order...."sort of" in other words, the J and N at the beginning are not connected
Now I'm totally confused, sorry.
The only way those two letters could not be connected is if the songwriter went by one name? From your example (SPM) I took you to mean that the first one, two, or possibly three letters (in your clue) were sequential initials in a songwriter's name. Now I'm not sure what to think LOLOL.
Not your name so much, but putting the three initials that comprise your name together in a connected way, that had me thinking incorrectly about your puzzle's rules.
Congrats Steve! Great game again Michael! 99 Luftbaloons (Neunundneunzig Luftballons) was on the radio when I was stationed in W. Germany, 1983. Great song. I was listening to 98.6 this morning thinking that might be a good song for NTT. Ha!
Clue: this song reached number 9 on the Billboard Top 100, sixteen years after this artist’s first and only other top 10 song as writer and performer (No. 9 as well, U.S.).
Let me see if I can do the scrambled letter clue. The artist is also the songwriter of the mystery tune. The artist who performed and wrote the mystery tune as a solo act was also a member of a ‘60s group who had a number 9 hit also written by our solo act. The mystery tune was an ‘80s hit.
Artist, song, the artist’s former group from the ‘60s, the other hit title, the mystery tune, and the group are in this scramble. Name them.
Correct Mike, congrats!! Sorry about the 16 vs.13 years apart. I should have fact checked that better…Let My Love Open The Door was played in at least 14 movies, according to this article. Here’s Townshend’s song.
Thanks Steve, wasn’t sure if I was doing it right because I haven’t solved any of yours! 🙂 I think Mike had the inside track because of his secret AI decoder ring and former intimate relationship with this song using it for a template to do backward tracking, or something like that…congrats again Mike!!
Thanks Steve, wasn’t sure if I was doing it right because I haven’t solved any of yours! 🙂 I think Mike had the inside track because of his secret AI decoder ring and former intimate relationship with this song using it for a template to do backward tracking, or something like that…congrats again Mike!!
Yeah, we're going to get that ring from him...I hear it has every song ever recorded on it...but then I've still got lots of 8 track tapes somewhere in my place....,lolol
Okay, I've been away for awhile. Here is a tune from the days of "real country" music. I remember as a kid really liking this song and even bought the 45 at about 10-11 years of age. I'm giving you a fair amount of melody, so someone should get this quickly. If not, I'll add some more melody or give a verbal clue. Name the song and performing artist.
sounds like every folk song ive ever heard. teach your children, three chords and the truth here? I dont know what it is, but saying what it isnt might be harder!
When your done i got one, double hook talk reminded me of it. Might be one of the groups best underrated songs. Was released in 1975, to commercial success. Top 20 in the US and UK
Contains a lyrical double hook, an instrument, and a sexual body part, thought its pretty obvious which way it leans more towards. Featured a banjo solo, as this band was never afraid to stretch the boundaries of rocn n roll, and defintly sounds more country than anything else. Perhaps thats why the writer used a double hook.
Hurry up and answer it cause i want you to hear the song...
sounds like every folk song ive ever heard. teach your children, three chords and the truth here? I dont know what it is, but saying what it isnt might be harder!
When your done i got one, double hook talk reminded me of it. Might be one of the groups best underrated songs. Was released in 1975, to commercial success. Top 20 in the US and UK
Contains a lyrical double hook, an instrument, and a sexual body part, thought its pretty obvious which way it leans more towards. Featured a banjo solo, as this band was never afraid to stretch the boundaries of rocn n roll, and defintly sounds more country than anything else. Perhaps thats why the writer used a double hook.
Hurry up and answer it cause i want you to hear the song...
sounds like every folk song ive ever heard. teach your children, three chords and the truth here? I dont know what it is, but saying what it isnt might be harder!
When your done i got one, double hook talk reminded me of it. Might be one of the groups best underrated songs. Was released in 1975, to commercial success. Top 20 in the US and UK
Contains a lyrical double hook, an instrument, and a sexual body part, thought its pretty obvious which way it leans more towards. Featured a banjo solo, as this band was never afraid to stretch the boundaries of rocn n roll, and defintly sounds more country than anything else. Perhaps thats why the writer used a double hook.
Hurry up and answer it cause i want you to hear the song...
Squeeze Box
YEAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! lets hear it
lol i came across this reaction video, its amazing how many hits these reaction videos get. These two seem to love the who, which makes them cool in my book
How bout a big F U to that chief? This is a dumb thread trying to add some life to it.
I can diseappear too, and then youll have 4 people reading it.
What a bunch of stiffs
Welll... I must admit, even though you're obviously up to your usual "hijacking" antics, you still managed to be very entertaining lol. Weird Al is actually a great musician
How bout a big F U to that chief? This is a dumb thread trying to add some life to it.
I can diseappear too, and then youll have 4 people reading it.
What a bunch of stiffs
Welll... I must admit, even though you're obviously up to your usual "hijacking" antics, you still managed to be very entertaining lol. Weird Al is actually a great musician
Yes he is a great musician, and reminds us to have fun with it too.
No i wasnt hijacking anything, I cant be the only one bored to tears with this thread. I never felt the urge to be a part of it...but i wont be from now on. This guy is annoying as hell too.
How bout a big F U to that chief? This is a dumb thread trying to add some life to it.
I can diseappear too, and then youll have 4 people reading it.
What a bunch of stiffs
Dom, 4 out of 10 old folks on this site reminiscing and entertaining each other isn't a bad thing...
If I didnt know better, id say the guy who made a new song post has been one of these many lurkers, reading about squeeze box and hearing the banjo in it, made him post a song with a banjo it it.
"Her tender lips......are sweeter than Hon-ee-hh!"
One of my favorite lines too. I guess I was about 10 when this came out. We had moved from Iowa to Alabama in 1958, so I was four years a southerner and this song was pretty popular.
Clue is in the video. Ralph Kramden has already appeared on the $99,000 Answer TV show, very nervous, category popular songs. Show ends before he’s able to begin and is invited back the following week. He practices with Ed Norton at the piano. See this at the 15 minute mark. Watch the practice, then fast forward to 20:49 and answer the mystery tune! (Mike has it.) And thx to FD for posting this on page one of this thread!
“Camptown Races” is correct! Mike’s the winner, Steve second place….here’s the song, written around 1850 by Stephen Foster, after visiting Camptown Pennsylvania. The song is sometimes known as “Camptown Ladies.”
Here’s a new list of songs/games already solved. Up to Mystery Tune #106. Anyone can play!
1. Secret Love, Doris Day 2. My One and Only Love, Frank Sinatra 3. Time After Time, artists varied 4. Tammy, Debbie Reynolds 5. Runaway, Del Shannon 6. One Day at a Time, Christy Lane 7. Little Red Riding Hood, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs 8. Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do), Christopher Cross 9. Gloria, Them 10. Skipped 11. Someday Soon, Judy Collins 12. In My Life, The Beatles 13. Minuet in G, Beethoven 14. Fever, Peggy Lee 15. Skipped 16. A Soft Place to Fall, Allison Moorer From the Horse Whisperer 17. Love and Marriage, Sinatra 18. Desperado, Linda Ronstadt 19. Time After Time, Sinatra (a duplicate of #3?) 20. La vie en rose, artists varied, (Two 20s) Pennsylvania Polka, artists varied 21. Skipped 22. Norwegian Wood, The Beatles 23. Chim Chim Cher-ee, Dick Van Dyke 24. Two Song Challenge. 1) Which Way You Going Billy, 2) Billy Don’t Be a Hero, 1) Poppy Family, 2) Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods (U.S.); Poppy Family (U.K.) 25. I’ll Be Home for Christmas, Bing Crosby 26. Games People Play, Joe South 27. Sweet Pea, Tommy Roe 28. Sheila, Tommy Roe 29. Beyond the Sea, Bobby Darrin 30. Town Without Pity, Gene Pitney 31. God Only Knows, The Beach Boys 32. Can’t Get Used to Losing You, Andy Williams 33. Tangerine, from The Fleet’s In 34. What Kind of Fool Am I, Sammy Davis, Jr. 35. I Can’t Make You Love Me, Bonnie Raitt 36. Washington Square, Village Stompers 37. The Toy Parade, Leave it to Beaver Theme Song 38. It Never Rains in Southern California, Seattle, Tijuana Taxi, New York New York, England Swings, Wichita Lineman, Calcutta (an ‘audio cacophony’ for points) 39. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Roberta Flack 40. How Much I Feel, Ambrosia 41. Hey Joe, Jimmy Hendrix 42. Lola, The Kinks; Lies, the Knickerbockers (two song challenge); A Bushel and a Peck, Dorris Day (two 42s) 43. 5 O’Clock World, The Vogues 44. What a Wonderful World, Louie Armstrong 45. Mama Tried, Merle Haggard 46. Atlantis, Donovan 47. Fly Me to the Moon, Frank Sinatra 48. Portrait of My Love, Steve Lawrence 49. Lover Man, Billie Holiday 50. Lay It Down, Ratt 51. Hooray for Captain Spaulding, You Bet Your Life (Groucho Marx) 52. Jambalaya, Hank Williams 53. Puppy Love, Paul Anka, Donny O. 54. Come Sail Away, Styx 55. My Life, Billy Joel 56. Dion (challenge was to name a mystery singer from photo) 57. King of the Road, Roger Miller 58. Sundown, Gordon Lightfoot 59. Dream a Little Dream of Me, Mamas & The Papas, Doris Day 60. The Way That You Wander, from Jeremiah Johnson 61. The Party’s Over, Judy Holiday 62. He, Al Hibbler 63. Jetson’s Theme, Hoyt Curtin 64. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Fred Rogers 65. Love Theme from St. Elmo’s Fire, John Parr & David Foster 66. Call Me, Petula Clark, Chris Montez 67. Highway to Hell, AC/DC 68. The Nearness of You, Frank Sinatra & 61 other covers 69. Just My Style, Gary Lewis & The Playboys 70. Ramble On, Led Zeppelin 71. Incense & Peppermint, Strawberry Alarm Clock 72. Monster Mash, Bobby “Boris” Pickett 73. Time To Say Goodbye, Andrea Bocelli 74. Turn Down Day, The Cyrkle 75. You Always Hurt The One You Love, The Mills Brothers 76. Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree, Andrews Sisters 77. Closer To The Heart, Rush 78. Come On Down To My Boat, Every Mother’s Son 79. Cry, Baby, Cry, The Beatles 80. Spooky, Classics IV 81. A World Without Love, Peter and Gordon 82. Puttin’ on the Ritz, Fred Astaire (Irving Berlin) 83. Volcano, Jimmy Buffett 84. One, Three Dog Night 85. Cindy, Ricky Nelson 86. Yummy, Yummy, Yummy, Ohio Express 87. Abraham, Martin, and John, Dion 88. If You Don’t Know Me By Now, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes 89. Sweet Blindness, The 5th Dimension (Laura Nyro) 90. Batman Theme, Marketts (Neal Hefti) 91. Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), Kate Bush 92. Popsicle, Jan & Dean 93. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head, B.J. Thomas (David-Bacharach) 94. Leon Russell to Kanye West, 6 degrees game 95. Shakin’ All Over, The Guess Who (Chad Allan & the Expressions) 96. Skip A Rope, Henson Cargill 97. Sugar and Spice, The Searchers 98. John Stewart to Linda Ronstadt, 4 or so degrees game 99. Walk, Don’t Run, The Ventures 100. Mr. Bojangles, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Sammy Davis, Jr. 101. 98.6, Keith; 99 Luftballoons, NENA 102. Let My Love Open The Door, Pete Townshend 103. Wolverton Mountain, Claude King 104. Squeeze Box, The Who 105. Camptown Races, Stephen Foster
Congrats, Craig you are the winner of mystery tune #106. "Reach Out Of the Darkness" by Friend & Lover:
Not much is know about this duet team. It was their only hit, the title is never literally sung, "reach out IN the darkness" is what is sung.
Ray Stevens plays keyboards and arranged the strings, and Joe South produced it, so Jim and Cathy Post had connections!
I love this song for it's innocence. Cathy Post is a tad off-key when singing "I think it's so groovy now/that people are finally gettin' together" --but so enthusiastic and child-like, that I can seal this song in amber as a closet favorite of mine.
I always thought that song was just so groovy--ha-ha..............I remember it well. I would need more than the bass line to get it however, as I haven't heard that song in almost a half century. The late 60's had a lot of great pop songs that were more short-lived and less remembered due to the British Invasion no doubt.
Understandable the Beach Boys guess from Steve. Eddie's faithful intro made me listen again to the original. That opening "ooo" from Valli is the most Beach Boys thing I could imagine. I'm sure Brian Wilson did a double take when that first came on the radio!
Understandable the Beach Boys guess from Steve. Eddie's faithful intro made me listen again to the original. That opening "ooo" from Valli is the most Beach Boys thing I could imagine. I'm sure Brian Wilson did a double take when that first came on the radio!
Great game!
That's why I had a couple of question marks in my guess..it was really close but I wasn't 100% sure...good game everyone!!
I don't think there is a word in English that has the letter Q without being followed by U? (Unless these are not scrambled letters and just first letters of words).
When I say it had modest success on Billboard Hot 100, a cover of the song got to # 35....that same cover got to #1 on adult contemporary/easy listening charts...the original singer I don't think charted on Billboard Hot 100
"The Vogues" were the weakest link as they only had a 5 or 6 albums from which to find a song that everybody recorded but none had a big hit with. I was already thinking film or Broadway.
Congrats Mike!! You found your decoder ring...great job
He sure did…Congratulations Mike!! This had me stumped. I went to see this show when I was a kid on a local stage in Huntsville Al. Great game, great song!
It's amazing that it didn't really chart but was sung by so many artists....Jack Jones got to # 35...I just love the story behind the play....when I was young and felt a little down.....this got me back on track so many times
Congrats Mike!! You found your decoder ring...great job
He sure did…Congratulations Mike!! This had me stumped. I went to see this show when I was a kid on a local stage in Huntsville Al. Great game, great song!
What I love about this thread, Craig, is just the point you're making...music always brings back the past
To dream the impossible dream To fight the unbeatable foe To bear with unbearable sorrow And to run where the brave dare not go To right the unrightable wrong And to love pure and chaste from afar To try when your arms are too weary To reach the unreachable star This is my quest To follow that star No matter how hopeless No matter how far To fight for the right Without question or pause To be willing to march, march into Hell For that Heavenly cause And I know if I'll only be true To this glorious quest That my heart will lie peaceful and calm When I'm laid to my rest And the world will be better for this That one man, scorned and covered with scars Still strove with his last ounce of courage To reach the unreachable The unreachable The unreachable star
I might have been able to guess the Imp Dream song had I had more time to study it. Great Song! I always wanted to play that role in a musical production.
Gee Mike.........#110 sounds a little "dark." Is it one of John's S's songs? I'll probably need a hint or two, or maybe more notes.
WOW! That's impressive, Steve! Congrats, you are correct!
Three guys that weren't really brothers play as a trio in Los Angeles in '64, in '65 move to Britain, become massive teen idols, getting more fan mail than The Beatles.
Scott goes solo, makes 5 increasingly more idiosyncratic albums featuring his own songwriting as well as covering a lot of Jacques Brel. Scott 4 is considered his masterpiece.
A classic from his middle period:
--imagine Jack Jones on acid...
In the last third of his life he became a modern classical composer while continuing to utilize his voice that was often compared to Jack Jones'. This combination of crooner vocals with "difficult music" made for some of the most unique records ever made, such as "Tilt" and "The Drift."
Scott Walker's life and career was that of an exploratory, innovative artist and composer. He died in 2019 at 73.
A wonderful documentary exists, "Scott Walker: 30 Century Man."
when I saw the scramble, I was thinking The Bee Gees, The Who or The Guess Who as possibly being the group....then when you mentioned Frankie Vallie..I thought maybe the song was written by Barry Gibb ...so I looked up FV songs and there it was ...I thought it had to have a long title
Probably a female vocalist since you pitched it in soprano register, or the dude from The Stylistics, lol...or Frankie Valli...not...
This song was recorded by a male group, with at least one member a tenor. Though I wouldn’t say they were known for their voices, like the Vogues or something. Clue: a ‘60s song that reached #3 U.S. and #1 in Canada. Name the song, group, and songwriter(s).
Two songwriting teams that wrote for Jay and the Americans were Boyce/Hart and Pomus/Shuman...neither wrote a USA number three hit for any group/band, or a song beginning with that sung melody. Goffin/King did, "Pleasant Valley Sunday" for the Monkees, but there's no such NTT melody in that song. It even was #1 in Canada, but it ain't the song....d a n g...............
Must be a more obscure song that Jay and the Americans recorded, and by a songwriting team that's none of the above...
NOT Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil... not Crewe/Gaudio...
--and the only hit Bacharach and David wrote for a group in the Sixties was "Little Red Book" by Love which bubbled under the top 40.
I messed up by not scanning The Monkees discography thoroughly like I did the Boyce and Hart wikipedia page that does NOT mention Valleri (!), and I shouldn't have needed to, as I know the song well. Now I feel like an idiot! In a good way, that is.
The Monkees discography thoroughly like I did the Boyce and Hart wikipedia page that does NOT mention Valleri (!)
Hey Mike, I was wondering about that! As I recall reading, Boyce & Hart were the original producers of the song as well and it was recut because the Monkees’ TV show required that they be noted as producers, or something like that… maybe that’s why it wasn’t found..
Yeah, the Boyce/Hart Wikipedia page mentioned "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and my thinking was that any top ten song would be mentioned, as they had less than a dozen all told...
Love the song, even the obvious "homage" to Richards' "Satisfaction" lick...
When I saw the Monkees clue and checked out that Pleasant Valley Sunday made it to #1 in Canada and #3 in US--thought that must be it. Your 2nd piano does sound more like the Valerie melody. I think I would have gotten it on my next research trip--but not too much free time on my hands. I think that was my 2nd fav Monkees song, 1st being Day Dream Believer, 3rd, Last train to Clarksville. I'm a Believer which I think was their 1st big hit just got over-played for me I think. I wasn't a big Monkees fan being a Beatles fan at that time and wasn't keen on them being a TV auditioned band. But give them credit, they actually weren't too bad on their own. Heck, I'm old enough to remember Mickey as "Circus Boy" on that TV show late 50's--ouch!
Google it. He was a little blond headed boy probably about 10 or 11 years old when he played the role of circus boy. He really hadn’t changed a lot you can definitely recognize him when you see it. I’m sure you can find it online. I think the series was on like maybe 1957 to 1960.
Google it. He was a little blond headed boy probably about 10 or 11 years old when he played the role of circus boy. He really hadn’t changed a lot you can definitely recognize him when you see it. I’m sure you can find it online. I think the series was on like maybe 1957 to 1960.
This sounds like Toby Tyler, a book I read as a kid. He ran away to the circus and had a rough go.
Singer did something on Billboard Hot 100 chart, that no other singer did, with one of his songs....he had the very first # 1 hit on Billboard Hot 100 Chart....in 1958
Okay, looks like the singer is Ricky Nelson, #1 in 1958 was “Poor Little Fool.” His number 9 hit in this game was “Hello Marylou” written by another great singer Gene Pitney. And I guess the NYC party was the inspiration for “Garden Party.”
Hello Mary Lou is Correct....I talked about the party to lead you to Ricky...Garden Party is not the second song...don't forget both songs were a hit at the same time...HML was # 9 ...the other song was # 1
Travelin' Man is correct Craig written by Jerry Fuller with Sam Cooke in mind but Cooke's manager turned it down and was then given to Nelson.....both songs were released on the same single in 1961 as "double A side
Great game, great songs! I was sidetracked looking at Merv Griffin and Barry Manilow for a time. Ricky Nelson dumped his studio musicians at one time because they were raised in jazz and big bands. Looked down on rock. Nelson called them ‘squares.’ Great artist!
as a video guy I was stunned that they shot the video of the song with 1 camera and 1 take.....almost impossible to do but they did it....when you see it you’ll see what I mean
The song was nominated for a Grammy....another, completely different song, with the exact same title did win a Grammy in the same category just a few years prior
Tune # 112 was Ricky Nelson with the 2 songs being Hello Mary Lou and Travelin' Man....Tune # 113 is new
To Recap
NTT 113
SMJOSTTSWC
Name of song, artist(s), main songwriters, album
Clue # 1
as a video guy I was stunned that they shot the video of the song with 1 camera and 1 take.....almost impossible to do but they did it....when you see it you’ll see what I mean
Clue # 2
The singers have won 18 Grammy awards between them
Clue # 3
Country meets pop
Clue # 4
The song was nominated for a Grammy....another, completely different song, with the exact same title did win a Grammy in the same category just a few years prior
The video is a masterpiece and is considered by many, in the know about shooting videos, to be one of the best continuous motion videos...not only was it a one camera shoot and done in one take, there were 17 musicians and a choir of 60 people involved as well...no one could make a mistake, including the cameraman...no edits of the video...unheard of in music videos
It has had over 400 million you tube views up to Jan 2023
The song, with the same name, that won a Grammy, features one of the greatest female singers of all time, having sold more than 100 million records....she has a 4 octave range
Ok. I'll take a turn. It may take a day or two. I'm not sure how Japov created the note bite.
I guessed it quickly, by google search top rock ,1978...and Van was in top 10, and has a very distinct guitar sound, so I picked that album and it was the first song.
I have a song . I'll just record some of it...means I have to go learn it...so beneficial exercise. Bill
I listened to your soundclick and liked the presentation choice you made...extended and more complete playing of song, but not giving anything away. the song sounded so familiar...I was hooked....forced me to travel back, back in memory. I thought bluegrass...hmm went searching. One Way Rider has a similar music hook...speeded Up! I figured time is of the essence ...so went w that one. So maybe like a paticipaction ticket is earned....goes into a big barrel of course and at the end of the year there is a draw and the winner gets a hat. Bill
I didn't play it very well... yeah old jazz standard...That Old Black Magic. Sung by a bunch of people. Music by Harold Arlen. Lyrics by Johnny Mercer.
Okay here is #120. I don't think it is a hard one to guess, but if so, I'll add clues. I'm going to cover it at open mike in a couple weeks, so good way to learn it.
Warning....soundcloud goes right into another song....I need to figure out how to stop that...its annoying. Just be ready to click out at end of this one. Bill
Steve is da winna!! Rainbow Connection" is a song from the 1979 film The Muppet Movie, with music and lyrics written by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher. Bill
“He will never, ever give up. And, most importantly, he will never, ever let you down.” A couple months later the New Yorker asks the same question in its article “Did Melania Trump Rickroll America?”
Hi Craig, Spectacular production in the original. Also the key sig was way to high for me to sing. I lowered the key and w the lo-fi recording....hmm...extra challenge here...lol. Bill
Yes. John has got it! Thanks for that link.....WOW sounds fantastic!! I like the melody and chords in this one. I need to go learn the entire thing. sing too. Bill
Although Michael has the final say.
Okay, I'm over it... 
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